Vectorization and Vector Graphics

In computer graphics, vectorization is to the process of converting raster graphics into vector graphics. Vectorization can be automated with tracing software or manual with vector drawing software.


What is a vector graphic and why or when do I need it? 
Has a commercial printer, engraver, sign company or other service provider ever asked you to provide an image in vector format? There are two major types of images in the graphic industry; Raster and Vector.

Raster images are the most common type and are made of pixels. If you zoom in to a raster image or you scale it up, you will probably see something that looks like little tiny squares, these are the pixels The very common jpg, gif, and png, are raster images.

Vector graphics are object oriented, they do not contain pixels. They are actually mathematical calculations from one point to another. Vector graphics can be scaled to any size without losing quality which is something you cannot do with raster images. See Raster vs Vector.
 
  • Vector art is scalable
  • Vector graphics are resolution-independent
  • With vectors, you can easily reduce the number of colors & printing costs
  • Vector images are required by plotters, cut signs, and engraving
  • Vector files can be exported or saved as many different file formats
Some printers and sign companies prefer vector files but a few services MUST have vector art for their processes to work, such as engraving and vinyl-cut sign making. This is because their equipment is guided by a vector path that is present only in vector files.
.
If you have an image that is not very good in quality or loses quality when scaled up in size, you can fix your image by having it vectorized. Once your image is in vector format, it can be used for may different projects and used at any size. You can print it on a pen, or on a billboard. More


vector-conversions.com




Comments

  1. MarcoOctober 21, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    Wow finally a site to get all my vector conversions.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Images for Large Format Printing

Image
We get a lot of requests to convert photos to vector format. One of the reasons is that some printer's guidelines state that in order to print good quality images in large format vector graphics are required. Maybe a little clarification is needed because vector graphics are drawings, so converting a photo to vector means making a drawing of the photo and that isn't necessarily what is needed or wanted. Most printers will accept vector AND high resolution; in this case, designs including photos can then be provided to printer using both vectors plus non-vector good quality photos. If the images you want printed in large format are: A. Photos Images that are captured with a camera need to be supplied in high resolution (large image*) format. Photos are not scalable so simply enlarging a small image will result in a poor quality large image. The photo must have been taken with a high quality setting on the camera, so that it will be the size needed for t...
Read more

Raster vs Vector

Image
There are two main type of image files: Raster and Vector. Raster images are created with pixel-based programs or captured with a camera or scanner. They are more common in general such as jpg, gif, png, and are widely used on the web. Vector graphics are created with vector software and are common for images that will be applied onto a physical product. Also used in CAD, engineering, and 3D graphics. When using a raster program you paint an image and it's similar to dipping a brush in paint and painting. You can blend colors to soften the transition from one color to another. When using a vector program you draw the outline of shapes: and it's similar to creating an image with tiles of all different shapes and sizes. e.g. an eye shape, a nose shape, a lip shape. These shapes called objects display one single color each. A lot of images can be made with either raster or vector program and look exactly the same on both programs. Images with a subtle gradation of one col...
Read more

Lost your image file? No problem!

Image
If you do not have a digital file of your graphic but you have access to an item with the graphic printed on, embroidered on, tattooed on, or otherwise visible on an item, we may be able to reproduce your image in multiple formats including vector AI, CDR, EPS, SVG and more. Take a photo of the item with the graphic on it and email it to us. A scan of the item would work much better because there won't be any distortion* but we can also work with a photo as a last resort. *Distortion Problems When using a photograph of a graphic as a reference, rather than a flat scan, the photographs will show the graphic in perspective (distorted). We will have to guess as to how the artwork might have looked originally. If at all possible, a flat scan of the product with the graphic on it will work best. If a scan is not available, we can still try to correct any distortion but the new graphic we create will most likely not be identical to your original file if we do not...
Read more