Flyers · Compared
Vector vs raster images
A vector image is stored as shapes described by maths, such as lines, curves and fills, so it can be enlarged to any size without losing sharpness. A raster image is a fixed grid of coloured pixels, which captures photographs and fine texture but turns soft or blocky once it is enlarged beyond the pixels it holds.
Most confusion about blurry logos and oversized files comes from using one kind where the other belongs. Knowing which kind a file is tells you whether it can go on a billboard, whether it can be edited, and what a printer will make of it.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
5 min read · Published
| Vector | Raster | |
|---|---|---|
| Made of | Points, paths, curves and fills | A grid of pixels, each one colour |
| Enlarging | Stays sharp at any size | Softens or pixelates past its pixel count |
| Common formats | SVG, PDF, EPS, AI | JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, TIFF |
| Best for | Logos, icons, type, diagrams, line art | Photographs, painted textures, screenshots |
| Editing | Change shapes and colours cleanly | Paint or retouch pixels |
| File size | Small for simple artwork, grows with complexity | Grows with pixel count |
| Printing | Printed at the device's full sharpness | Limited by pixels per inch at the print size |
Instructions against a mosaic
A vector file is closer to a set of drawing instructions than a picture: start here, draw a curve to there, fill it with this colour. MDN describes SVG, the web's vector format, as an XML based markup language for describing two dimensional vector graphics, and its image format guide recommends it for icons, diagrams and interface elements that must be drawn accurately at different sizes. A raster file is a mosaic. Each pixel stores a colour, and the picture is the pattern they make. Photographs are raster by nature, because a camera sensor records light as a grid. Neither is better in general. Vector cannot describe a photograph of a face efficiently, and raster cannot keep a logo sharp when it is blown up.
Why scaling behaves so differently
When a vector image is enlarged, the software recalculates the shapes at the new size and draws them again, so edges stay crisp whether the logo is on a business card or a building wrap. When a raster image is enlarged, there are no new pixels to draw with. Software has to stretch the existing ones or estimate the missing values, and the result is a soft or jagged edge. Shrinking a raster image is safe, since pixels are discarded rather than invented. This is the reason printers ask for logos as vector files and photographs at a pixel count that suits the print size. Text is a special case: fonts are vector outlines, so type stays sharp until the moment it is flattened into pixels.
When the choice matters
It matters most for logos. A logo supplied only as a small PNG taken from a website limits every future use, from signage to embroidery, while a vector master can produce any size and colour version. It matters for anything with thin lines or small type that will be printed large, such as maps, floor plans and technical diagrams. It matters less for photographs, which stay raster throughout; the question there is only whether there are enough pixels. Files can also mix the two. A PDF often holds vector type and shapes alongside raster photographs, and an SVG can embed a raster image, which then keeps its pixel limits even inside a vector container.
Common mistakes
The most common is assuming a file is vector because of its extension. Placing a JPG inside an EPS, AI or PDF does not make it vector, and a so called vector logo that blurs when zoomed is a raster image in a vector wrapper. The second is auto tracing a photograph into vector shapes, which produces a posterised, heavy file that looks worse than the original. The third is sending a vector logo to someone who needs a raster file for a slide or a social post without exporting it at a suitable size. The fourth is enlarging a small raster logo for print and hoping nobody notices the edges. The last is flattening type into a low resolution image, which turns crisp text soft.
Vector and raster in the flyer builder
Inside the flyer builder both kinds meet. Icons come from the Lucide icon set and are vector, and text is rendered as live type, so both stay sharp at whatever size the page is captured. Photographs and logos you upload are raster: the accepted types are JPEG, PNG, WebP and GIF, up to 10 megabytes, so a vector logo in SVG or EPS needs exporting to a large PNG with a transparent background first. Every export is raster too. PNG and JPG are pixel images at twice the canvas size, A4 at 2480 by 3508, and the PDF places each page as an image rather than as vector shapes. The vector parts of a design are therefore sharp at that export size, not infinitely scalable, which is fine for printing at the size you designed.
Questions people ask
Is a PDF vector or raster?
It can be either, or both. A PDF is a container that can hold vector paths, live text and raster images together. A PDF exported from a layout program usually keeps type and shapes as vector, while a scanned document or a PDF made from page screenshots is raster throughout. Zoom in far on the text: if it stays crisp, it is vector.
How can I tell if my logo is a vector file?
Open it and zoom to several hundred percent. Vector edges stay perfectly smooth while raster edges break into squares or blur. In an editing program, a vector logo can be selected as separate shapes. File types such as SVG, AI and EPS usually indicate vector, but check, because they can also contain embedded pixels.
Can I convert a raster image to vector?
Tracing tools can convert simple, high contrast artwork such as a flat logo or a signature into vector shapes, often with clean up needed afterwards. Photographs do not convert well, because their gradients and textures become hundreds of blotchy shapes. For a logo, redrawing it properly from the best available raster copy gives the cleanest result.
Which format should a designer send me for my logo?
Ask for a vector master, commonly SVG plus AI, EPS or PDF, and a set of PNG files at a few sizes with transparent backgrounds for everyday use. Include versions for dark and light backgrounds and a single colour version. Having the vector master means any future size can be produced without going back to the designer.
Why is my SVG file so large?
Vector file size depends on the number of points and shapes, not the display size. Auto traced artwork, detailed maps and SVGs with embedded raster images can grow very large. Simplifying paths, removing hidden layers and exporting without editor metadata usually shrinks them considerably. A detailed illustration may simply be better stored as a PNG.
Are fonts vector?
Yes. Common font formats such as TrueType and OpenType store each letter as outlines, which is why type can be set at any size and stay sharp on screen and in print. Text only becomes raster when it is flattened into an image, such as a screenshot or a PNG export.
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Create a flyer with OneCraftRelated questions
- PNG vs JPG: which to usePNG vs JPG: PNG compresses without losing detail and supports transparency, JPG shrinks photos by discarding detail. Which suits flyers, posters and print.
- Resolution vs DPI vs PPIResolution vs DPI: resolution is an image's pixel count, PPI is how densely those pixels print, DPI is the printer's ink dots. Worked from A5 to A1.
- What is a WebP image?What is a WebP image: a web image format, smaller than JPG and PNG at similar quality, with transparency and animation. Where it fits and where it does not.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .