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Google will return over 33 million hits for "vector graphics." It is not a topic that can be well described in even a few paragraphs.

 

It is not a format type. There are various file formats designed to contain vector objects. Dozens, maybe more than 100.

 

There are 2 kinds kinds of vector objects AFAIK. Both will have a list of x.y coordinates. In one case, the points will be determined by a mathematical formula, such as describing a circle based on the center and radius. In the other, it will be a list of point co-ordinates that define the boundary of a shape. Both kinds can then be transformed by various mathematical operations. Every part is editable.

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Google will return over 33 million hits for "vector graphics." It is not a topic that can be well described in even a few paragraphs.

 

It is not a format type. There are various file formats designed to contain vector objects. Dozens, maybe more than 100.

 

There are 2 kinds kinds of vector objects AFAIK. Both will have a list of x.y coordinates. In one case, the points will be determined by a mathematical formula, such as describing a circle based on the center and radius. In the other, it will be a list of point co-ordinates that define the boundary of a shape. Both kinds can then be transformed by various mathematical operations. Every part is editable.

Ok. If i start making something in Affinity Designer does it become a vector object? 

 

Graphic designers quote "Vector File" Is it sales jargon or is it of some benefit to me?

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"Graphic designers quote "Vector File" Is it sales jargon or is it of some benefit to me?" 

 

Yes, it is of benefit. Vectors can be cleanly represented at any scale, and as precisely as the output device allows. The same tiny bit of vector code that defines a period at the end of a sentence can be scaled up to a black circle that fits on a billboard. It allows the computer to generate the list of individual dots, from maybe 30 for a period, or 30 million for a billboard.

 

Affinity Designer is mostly what is called a "draw" program. It makes vector objects within a vector frame. But it also blends bitmap "paint" technique with the vectors. For instance, one can make a complex geometrical form, and attach a mass of essentially random dots like a photo to that shape.

 

The resulting work can be saved in file formats, such as .eps, that will accommodate both types of data.

 

Time for me to sleep. Read up about vector and bitmap formats. Quote

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Basically when we say "vector", as @gdenby explained, we're talking about graphics that can be scaled to any size without affecting the quality of the artwork because evey time you move, scale or rotate it, the software will re-calculate that shape and draw it again on the screen.

So unlike "Bitmap" (or, "Raster") software, instead of drawing a shape by filling pixels with colors, a vector software creates a mathematical equation to represent that object through points with X and Y coordinates.

 

In raster software, if you try to scale that object, it will have to scale the pixel data which will cause the object to loose sharpness, becoming blurry and distorted.

In vector software, if you try to scale that object, it will "move" the points around according to the scale command and then connect them back so you have the same shape at a larger size. Only then it will create a pixel representation of the object.

It pretty much "re-draws" the shapes instead of "zooming in", which is what a raster software would do, in very basic terms.

 

This is easy to understand by, in AD, in the Pixel Persona, using the Elliptical Marquee tool to draw a circle. Let's say, 40x40 pixels. Now fill it with color, if you select it and use the transform handles to scale it to say 800x800, you will see it is not perfectly round, there are jagged edges. These edges are the original pixels that now you have scaled.

 

However if you do the same in the Vector Persona using the Elliptic Tool, no matter how much you stretch the circle it will not show jagged edges because you are not scaling pixels, you're scaling the points that make up the instructions to build that circle.

 

Makes sense?

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Come now people... we're designers so we need pictures. Here's one...

 

post-14828-0-27358500-1487176288_thumb.jpg

 

As an experiment, you can experience this very easily in AD. 

- Zoom in reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy close. If you still have sharp edges then it's vector. If you pixels, then it's a raster image.

 or

- Tap the , key and your screen will split displaying vectors on the left and how they will look as rasters on the right (if you're planning to rasterise them)

 

Word of caution... vector objects can be made into raster objects, but raster objects can't be converted into vector objects.

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Common/preferred uses of vectors:

- Fonts

- Logos

- Icons

- Anything that's going to scaled up in the future.

- Usually EPS, PDF, SVG and most native file formats (though vector file formats can include raster images)

 

Common/preferred uses of rasters:

- Photos (anything straight from a camera or scanner)

- photo manipulation/effects (lens flares, shadows, holes in zombies)

- Screenshots

- Usually TIFF, JPEG, GIF, PNG. (A pure raster image cannot have any vector objects)

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On a side note... can I just say thank you for a great question. I suspect a lot of people have no clue and are too shy to ask. This is a basic fundamental to all graphic software and unless you grasp this, you will always be confused between the different applications and personas.

 

The distinctions are very clear in Affinity Designer through the "Draw" and "Pixel" personas. Watch the tools change. In draw, the tools are node, object and creation tools. In pixel, the tools are mostly pixel selections, modifiers, erasers etc.

 

post-14828-0-84898100-1487177526_thumb.jpg

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Come now people... we're designers so we need pictures. Here's one...

...

 or

- Tap the , key and your screen will split displaying vectors on the left and how they will look as rasters on the right (if you're planning to rasterise them)...

 

Stephen, can't wait to try this tip when I get to my PC! Thanks!

 

Common/preferred uses of vectors: ...

 

Common/preferred uses of rasters: ... - photo manipulation/effects (lens flares, shadows, holes in zombies)

 

Hmmm, I can see my portfolio is lacking as I have never added any zombies! :lol:

 

 Good job, IMHO, on describing "vector" in a few short posts.

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- Tap the , key and your screen will split displaying vectors on the left and how they will look as rasters on the right (if you're planning to rasterise them)

 

 

 

Stephen, can't wait to try this tip when I get to my PC! Thanks

 

Sorry jer, that split screen facility is MAC only I believe.

 

Jeff

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Long-time user of Serif products, chiefly PagePlus and PhotoPlus, but also WebPlus, CraftArtistProfessional and DrawPlus.  Delighted to be using Affinity Designer, Photo, and now Publisher, version 1 and now version 2.

iPad Pro (12.9") (iOS 17.4) running Affinity Photo and Designer version 1 and all three version 2 apps.

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The split screen is available on Windows too (comma key). Also, if you focus on any side of the split and change the view mode at the top toolbar it will keep it that way. So you can do Vector / Pixels or Pixels / Outlines or Vector / Retina Pixels... you get the idea.

 

My apologies!  I had NO idea such a facility existed.  Many thanks for making me discover yet another thing I did not know about Designer.

 

Jeff

Win 10 Pro, i7 6700K, 32Gb RAM, NVidia GTX1660 Ti and Intel HD530 Graphics

Long-time user of Serif products, chiefly PagePlus and PhotoPlus, but also WebPlus, CraftArtistProfessional and DrawPlus.  Delighted to be using Affinity Designer, Photo, and now Publisher, version 1 and now version 2.

iPad Pro (12.9") (iOS 17.4) running Affinity Photo and Designer version 1 and all three version 2 apps.

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Hi,

 

I'm liking all these replies. It's certainly helping me to understand more about Vector.

 

 

Come now people... we're designers so we need pictures. Here's one...

 

attachicon.gifVector vs Raster.jpg

 

As an experiment, you can experience this very easily in AD. 

- Zoom in reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy close. If you still have sharp edges then it's vector. If you pixels, then it's a raster image.

 or

- Tap the , key and your screen will split displaying vectors on the left and how they will look as rasters on the right (if you're planning to rasterise them)

 

Word of caution... vector objects can be made into raster objects, but raster objects can't be converted into vector objects.

I did the split screen test on a logo that I Exported as JPEG and that clearly showed up as Raster/Bitmap. I did another test with a letter in A/D and that clearly showed up as Vector.

 

Do I lose Vector depending on what format I export to? 

 

What format should I choose to export to for Vector?

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Do I lose Vector depending on what format I export to?

 

Yes. PNG, JPEG, GIF and TIFF are all bitmap/raster formats.

 

What format should I choose to export to for Vector?

 

If you export to PDF, SVG or EPS the vector elements in your design will remain as vector (with some caveats about things like gradient fills).

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Also, Adobe Illustrator (.ai) can and most frequently will contain vector data, Sketch (.sketch), Corel Draw (.cdr) and more recently Photoshop files (.psd) will too.

Please note that even though Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw are mainly vector software, just like Affinity Designer their file formats can contain raster objects (like images that were imported into them).

Similarly, Photoshop is a mainly raster tool, but you can design vector shapes in it.

 

The formats I just mentioned are DOCUMENT formats, which means that they will be editable by the software that created them.

The formats Alfred talked about are referred to as DISTRIBUTION formats, which means that they can be exported by hundreds of software and they're by general rule not editable.

 

SVG being a sort of open-source format for vectors makes them pretty much editable in most vector software. PDF and EPS can also be imported to a vector app and edited if there are no restrictions imposed by who created them.

 

If you want to be absolutely sure that you will be able to edit your work please by all means always keep the original document safe - in AD's case this is the .afdesign file.

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