Most people have heard of the most popular file formats used in media today. What they may not know is whether they are vector formats (.pdf and .svg) or raster formats (.jpg and .gif). A raster file is an image made from colored pixels placed close together. The density of pixels packed together determines how sharp the image appears. More pixels packed into an image make them larger and harder to manage. Vectors are like graphic math formulas. Shapes contain the colors of the image. Small lines of code define each shape, no matter how large the image is. This makes vectors easier and faster to work with. Scaling raster images makes them lose detail when shrunk, or look pixelated when enlarged. You don’t want either.
You can pass a vector image between editors with ease. Raster files are more problematic. Each time you change a raster file, its quality drops. You can save the original file for re-editing in the native format of the program that creates it. But these files are large and are hard to send via email. A single raster logo can be greater than 100 megabytes. A full double-page spread with a vector logo and text could be as small as one megabyte.
Once you create a vector image, you can export it for most other programs. Raster images will appear blurry when repurposed for a video or presentation slide. A vectorized logo will be sharp at 4K. As standards increase, vector logos continue to scale while rasters will look worse. Vector formats suffer from little loss of information. It is easy to translate the math forming the parts of the image. Vector formats like PDF enjoy broad print support, so your logo looks as crisp on paper as on screen. SVG is a vector format designed for the web, and that allows your graphics to load much faster than rasters.
When you find it necessary to edit your logos, it will be much easier if it’s a vector. If you still have access to the original file, it won’t be as bad. That will still involve more system resources than editing an original vector file. When you don’t have access to the original file, editing can be impossible. Logo vectorizing simplifies making changes to communicate your brand’s message.
A vectorized logo will allow you to present a professional appearance. A vector logo will be easy to read on a business card, poster, or billboard. Your brand will appear modern and clean and project the image you’ve worked hard to create.