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When supplying files, using this guide will hopefully ensure better results on your final product. Whether it be for print or a digital medium, raster and vector files both have their places in design, and knowing where to implement them can be crucial to the outcome of the design.

What is a Raster File?

Raster files are generally what people think of when you mention images. They are composed of tiny squares, or pixels, that contain a wide range of colors and tonal information. When it is all combined together, it builds an image.

What is a Vector File?

Vector files consist of mathematical equations, lines, and curves with fixed points on a grid to produce and build a smooth, crisp image. There are no pixels in this file type, so they are infinitely scalable and maintain their quality no matter how large or small you make it.

What are the Differences Between Raster and Vector Files?

Resolution

Since raster files are built using pixels, they are measured by resolution which is known or referred to as DPI (dots per inch) or PPI (pixels per inch). The quality will vary greatly depending on the resolution. When using raster images for printed material, higher resolution will give you the best results. For anything digital, a lower resolution can be better in some cases, because it’s all about download speed and storage space.

Vector files, on the other hand, don’t have pixels, so they have the capability to be scalable. Meaning the image can be scaled up or down without impacting its quality.

The easiest way to tell if your image is a vector or raster is by zooming in or enlarging the image. If the image becomes distorted, blurry, or pixelated, then you have a raster file.

File sizes

Raster files can vary in size, depending on the use of the image. The higher the resolution, the higher the quality, and larger the file size. However, raster files can be compressed and web optimized to make sharing faster and easier.

Vector files tend to be lightweight and smaller, keeping file sizes to a minimum compared to raster files.

Use

When deciding what format to use depends on what it is going to be used for. Truth is that most projects will use both in their design and when to use which is a practice over time.

Raster files are used in photography and editing images or graphics and can give a wider range of colors while displaying finer light and shading.

Vector files are best for illustrations, logos, icons, and complex designs. Since vectors have scalability, it has the versatility to be useful for both print and digital.

File Format Types

There are multiple types and extensions of both raster and vector files, each having their own features. One keynote to add is that while raster files can be opened in many different apps, vector files aren’t as accessible. Many require specialized software to open and edit. Here are some common file types.

Raster

Adobe Photoshop .psd
Joint Photographic Group .jpg
Portable Network Graphic .png
Graphics Interchange Format .gif
Tagged Image File Format .tiff

Vector

Adobe Illustrator .ai
Scalable Vector Group .svg
Encapsulated PostScript .eps
Portable Document Format (saved with editable capabilities) .pdf

Sources:
https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/raster-vs-vector-file-formats
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/file-types/image/comparison/raster-