A vector file is a type of electronic file used for computer graphics. Some key features are that a vector file describes graphics in terms of points, coordinates, and mathematical shapes. Graphics in a vector file will be easily scalable images. Also, the vector image file type is often used when creating illustrations for print projects.
Vector files are much more scalable than bitmap images.
Vector files are produced in a variety of file formats. For example, a file format type might be Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) and use EPS as the file suffix. File suffix can also be a proprietary file type created by a software package designed specifically for creating vector graphics. Some of these other vector file formats are AI, CDR, and WMF.
Graphics in a vector file can be created using ellipses or a series of dots.
Graphics in a vector file are primarily created with geometric shapes such as circles, ellipses, Bézier curves, squares, rectangles, polygons, and lines. The most sophisticated designs are created by joining and intersecting shapes. Each shape is treated as an individual object within the larger image. Vector graphics work most effectively when the design is created from shapes filled with individual colors or gradients.
An advantage of vector graphics is that images are scalable, and graphics can be scaled up or down without distorting the image. This feature makes the vector file type important in the field of logo design because a graphic designer can easily scale the image to fit a variety of designs while maintaining a sharp, crisp look. Vector images are also used for illustrations, animations, cartoons, and scalable fonts.
The graphics in a vector file differ from a bitmap or raster graphic image file. Bitmap graphics are made up of pixels, or image elements, in a grid format that defines the image. These images excel at displaying color gradations and are therefore useful for photographs, but do not scale well. If they are reduced, the image will lose information, and if they are reduced, the image will appear pixelated.
Another benefit of vector files is that they are relatively small compared to bitmap images. It is also easy for illustration software to convert illustrations in vector files to bitmap images. Converting a bitmap image to a vector image is difficult for software and often requires the designer to work with the image to get good results.
More sophisticated vector imaging software applications can use bitmap images as objects along with traditional vector geometry attributes. In some cases, the images may be rival bitmap images for photorealism. This functionality greatly increases the usefulness of these applications.
