What is Vector Art?

Have you ever had a request for a vector art file of your logo or other company artwork and wondered “What is vector art?”  Vector artwork, simply put, is graphic art files that are saved as drawings as opposed to being built with pixels.  Typically, when someone asks for your vector logo he or she is looking for an EPS (.eps) or Encapsulated Post Script file.

Vector art files because of the manner in which they are created can be sized up without distortion or pixilation. This format can be opened in any drawing program-Adobe Illustrator is the most common, but some firms use other brands (most regular offices do not use drawing programs and can’t open .eps files).  EPS or AI (adobe illustrator) files are usually what a designer is looking for when they refer to vector art.

JPG and PNG (portable network graphics) are more common types of image files for most users. These images are made of pixels and have to be a certain resolution to work in certain places. You can only make them so much larger because they get grainy and pixelate when they are enlarged too much. JPG files have white backgrounds and PNG files typically have a transparent background.

If you aren’t sure if you have the proper file, check with your marketing department, graphic artist, or printing company and have them help you identify the proper file for the best project performance.