Vector Art Guide: 4 Commons Uses for Vector Art

Vector art is a type of digital art that can be scaled to any size without losing image quality. Vector images use digital elements like points, curves, and lines with built-in mathematical equations that allow each element to scale proportionally and naturally. For this reason, vector graphics are commonly used in graphic design for logos, T-shirts, and other situations where an image will need to be used in varying sizes.

Unlike vector images, raster images are made up of pixels, and when enlarged the image will often skew and warp. Using image editing software, vector files can be converted into raster files (such as .JPG, .PNG, .TIFF, or .GIF file types), and raster graphics can be converted into vector file formats (.AI, .EPS, or .SVG file types).

Vector graphics were used in some of the first computers because of their small file size and scalability. The origins of vector art trace to the mid-twentieth century:

• 1950s: Since vector images required less memory to store than raster files or bitmap images, vector graphics were used in early computers that had simple displays and low storage capacity.
• 1960s: In 1963, Ivan Sutherland created Sketchpad, a program that allowed the user to manipulate images using vector graphics. In this same period, Pierre Bézier invented the Bézier curve, which used mathematical formulas to proportionally scale curved lines.
• 1970s: The creation of more complex vectors and the ability to manipulate them opened the door for the creation of video games. Games such as Asteroid and Tempest used vector images for their computer graphics.
• 1980s: The introduction of the first personal computers, such as the Apple Macintosh, allowed the public to create their own vector images with programs like Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW.
• 1990s: A standard file format was established for vector images called Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) files. This file format has been updated for different platforms like mobile devices, but the foundational SVG vector file format is still in use today.
• 2000s to today: As computers became more advanced with more storage and more complex displays, vector graphics became less popular than rasterized images, which used pixels to create more complex images. However, graphic designers still use vector graphics today to create images that can be scaled up or down and used in multiple applications without losing image quality.

The ability to resize a vector illustration without loss of quality makes them useful in many applications, including:

1. 1. Logo design: Logos are often used in many different applications, such as on business cards, products, or merchandise. A vector logo allows the image to be used on any template and remain consistent.
2. 2. T-shirts and clothing: Vectorized images are great for printing images on T-shirts or hats that will come in many different sizes.
3. 3. Billboards and posters: Businesses will often use vector graphics for their physical marketing materials that need to be printed at many different scales.
4. 4. Typography: Graphic designers can create their custom typography as vector files so the lettering can scale up or down in size and maintain image quality.

There are many different kinds of image editing software that you can use to create vector artwork:

• Adobe Illustrator: A program specifically built for creating and editing vector graphics. From this program you can export your vector images to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe InDesign to use your vector file on a rasterized image.
• Inkscape: An open-source vector image editing software that also provides tutorials for creating basic shapes and images.
• CorelDRAW: One of the first vector graphics editors that also provides software for editing raster art and bitmap images.

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