What Is A Vector Graphic?

Date First Published: 3rd December 2023

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Software

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Raster Graphics
File Size

Learn about what a vector graphic is in this article.

A vector graphic is a digital image that consists of points, paths, curves, geometric shapes, and mathematical relationships that connect them to create an image. Unlike raster graphics, vector graphics do not use pixels of colour to represent images and have no fixed resolution. Vector graphics are often used for simple drawings, logos, icons, and illustrations.

Vector graphics and raster graphics are the two most common graphic types used to digitally represent 2D images. Raster graphics are different from vector graphics in that they are made up of tiny rectangular pixels arranged in a grid formation that can represent an image and have a fixed number of pixels, making them less scalable than vector graphics. Commonly used vector file types include .ai, .cdr, and .svg.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Vector Graphics

The advantages of vector graphics are:

Compared to raster files, images can be zoomed and resized much more easily without losing quality or becoming blurry. No matter how small or large they are, they always maintain their resolution.
File sizes are smaller than raster graphics. This helps them store information more efficiently and makes them more suitable for sharing on the Web since they will load more quickly and take up less disk space.
They are more customisable than raster graphics. Vector graphics can be easily edited in programs to change the shapes, text, colours, and other visual effects, giving users more control over the look, feel, and appearance.
They also support animation. Unlike JPEG and PNG, SVG is not limited to static images. Online tools exist to add moving elements to an SVG vector.

The disadvantages of vector graphics are:

Vector graphics can only create simple shapes and colours. This makes it harder to represent complex and realistic images, such as photographs, shadows, textures, and lighting effects.
They are not supported by all software, meaning that they may need to be converted into raster graphics for compatibility, which can be difficult. For example, some web browsers and software may not be able to display vector graphics.