Graphic designers are consistently challenged with the need to communicate more effectively while achieving a high-quality outcome. However, Understanding the fundamentals of graphics is crucial for graphic designers, but it can be difficult to learn in a short amount of time.
There are few questions that come to our mind when we are starting off and these are like, What is a raster vs vector graphics? Which style is best for your graphic workflow? These questions and more will all be answered when you stay with this article.
These two types of graphics are very different in terms of quality, process, and overall experience. Specifically, they have a lot in common, but they also have a few differences between them. For example, Raster graphics generally have better resolution than vector graphics because there is no limit on the size or complexity of the image it can create. However, raster images do not scale well when compared to vector images, which retain their quality when scaled up or down.
Raster vs Vector Graphics
Raster graphics are a form of digital imaging that can be scaled to a resolution of several megapixels. Vector graphics are a type of digital illustration that is created by mathematical instructions for each point, line, or curve.
Vector graphics are typically used for illustrations, logos, and diagrams. Raster graphics can be scaled to any size and is usually used for photographs and design-oriented websites such as those with product images.
What are the Key Differences Between Rasters and Vectors?
The difference between them is how they calculate their resolution, or the number of pixels. Raster resolutions tend to be lower than vector resolutions, which means they can’t show as many images in a given space. They also cannot scale up larger images without losing quality, while vectors work seamlessly with different sizes and resolutions.
Raster and vector images are two different types of two-dimensional pictures that are made up of squares or lines. Raster images can easily be divided into smaller squares called pixels, while vector images use lines and curves that don’t need to be divided into squares.
Raster Graphics vs Vector Graphics - Pros & Cons
Graphic design is a broad field that encompasses many processes, with the two most common being vector graphics and raster graphics. Vector graphics are considered to be more efficient because they require less time to render in comparison to raster graphics. However, raster graphics are typically utilized when you need to use media such as videos and photographs in your designs.
Although graphic design is a widely used industry, both its advantages and disadvantages can be found. These two different methods are the traditional design and computer-aided design. The advantages to traditional graphic design are that it is easy to create designs with the help of pens, pencils, markers, ink & watercolor.
The disadvantages are that this type of design process can be time-consuming and expensive when using art boards. Thankfully we are in the digital age where we get this opportunity to done easily and effectively, without having too many skills, now let’s see what are the cons and pros they both graphics have.
Pros of Raster Graphics
- Raster is easy to understand and use,
- Huge collection of filters and plugins,
- Good for digital media like, photography,
- Require less skill than vector design software,
- Good choice for images that need a lot of editing,
- Can be customized, for a high level of personalization.
Cons of Raster graphics
- It can be expensive to use,
- Supported file types are limited,
- The graphics generally take more time to make,
- Raster designs cannot be flattened into vectors,
- Raster graphics are not compatible with the web,
- The quality of raster graphics depends on the resolution,
- It does not scale well for big resolutions (lack of details).
Pros of Vector graphics
- Better for high-quality illustrations and logos,
- Can scale infinitely without losing clarity or detail,
- Great for print, web, and mobile apps,
- Easy to edit without finding the right software again,
- For better control over shapes, lines, and arcs,
- More versatile, simpler, easy to edit and update,
- Change colors easily in both RGB and CMYK color space.
Cons of Vector graphics
- It doesn’t have a huge collection of filters for designing,
- Vector tools are not very efficient in creating complex objects,
- It doesn’t allow manipulation quite as easily as raster software does,
- The final products won’t be as sharp as the raster graphic design tools,
- It’s difficult to use vector graphic software on mobile devices, such as phones and tablets.
Raster vs Vector Graphics: Which Works Best for Your Design?
Raster graphics and vector graphics use different techniques and work differently. Some of the tools that can be used for vector graphics are able to create a wide range of effects, but raster may not be able to handle complex shapes and textures.
Vector graphics: Vector graphics use drawing lines, Bézier curves, and other mathematical calculations to create entirely new shapes. These can handle complex textures such as shading, shadows, or gradients without losing detail.
Raster graphics: Raster images are made up of pixels that represent colors in an image. Raster can only display two at a time, creating a limited number of effects such as blur effects, color gradients or shading or patterns.
Vector and raster graphical techniques both have their advantages and disadvantages, so it’s best to choose the method that works for your project. Raster graphics are a lot more simple and quick to create. However, vector graphics are a lot more stable and elegant.
Vector graphics have been around since the 18th century, but it wasn’t until the last century that they became popular. Raster images have been around for a little over 50 years, so they’ve been around for quite some time as well. Designers can choose which one they want to use based on the project type.
Vector GPU-Based Graphics : Less Processing Power, but Higher Performance
Raster GPU-Based Graphics : More Processing Power, but Lower Performance
3 Tips on How to Choose an Appropriate Graphic Designer for Your Project
Graphic designers are pretty much the backbone of any design project, and It is being’s a daunting task to choose a good graphic designer for your project. However, there are some things that you can do to ensure that you get one of the best designers of your choice.
Here are three things that you should know before choosing a graphic designer for your project:
- What exactly do you want from the design and make sure it matches the company’s style.
- Consider looking for an experienced designer who has been in business for a while and had more projects under his belt.
- If you cannot find any of these, go with a freelancer who specializes in what exactly you need, and stay away from a generic web design firm or freelance website design firm.
Which Program Is the Best for Creating a Graphic Design Workflow?
There are a lot of programs that can be used for graphic design, and the selection of the best one depends on what you need to do with it.
The best program for creating a graphic design workflow is completely up to your personal preference. Some people like Adobe Photoshop CC, while others like Adobe Illustrator CC. It really comes down to what you need and the kind of work you want to make.
However, if you’re just starting out and don’t have the budget for these expensive software programs, there are other free alternatives to consider. One of the most popular programs for graphic design workflows is Inkscape, which is free or open source software. Some web designers also use it. Inkscape is a vector graphics editor that supports both bitmap layers and vector editing in one document from almost any platform, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, iPhone OS X, Android, React Native and more.
Which is Better for You?
It can be difficult to make a decision between raster and vector graphics. When should designers utilize raster graphics or vector graphics? They both have pros and cons, but it depends on what you need. For example, raster graphics have a resolution limit whereas vector graphics have no resolution limit.
However, Raster graphics are better for those who need to make highly detailed and realistic images. Vector graphics are better for those who need to simplify their design process and make it scalable.
Now it’s your turn to decide which type of graphic you want, vector or raster.
