What You Should Know about Vector Image Formats

You know that moment when you’re looking at an image but you can’t make out the details? So, you zoom in really close, but now the image is blurry and grainy. That’s because the image was a raster graphic, not a vector graphic. Vector images retain their quality no matter how much you scale them up or down, while raster files don’t.

With so many vector file types though, which one should you choose for your project? Different vector file formats are best suited for different goals. For example, if you’re working on a web project, Adobe Illustrator files (.ai) are worth looking into. We’ll go over the pros and cons of multiple formats, so you can pick the best one for your design needs.

TL;DR – Vector File Extension Cheat Sheet

Vector File Extensions Pros & Cons
Name	Advantages	Disadvantages
Adobe Illustrator (.ai)	+  Supports transparency +  Flawless photography +  Supports layering +  Great for printing +  Scalability without loss +  Smaller file sizes +  Format is widely accepted and can be converted to raster formats (like .png) without issue +  Natively integrates with other products from the Adobe family (such as Photoshop and InDesign) +  Can be designed very precisely with Adobe features like “Pen Tool”, “Shapes” and “Pathfinders” +  Discounts available for Adobe products (details below)	–   Can have a complex learning curve –   Fully compatible only with the Adobe Illustrator software, which is ideal for vector graphics, but less so for raster graphics
Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg)	+  Small file sizes +  Fast loading times +  SEO-friendly +  Great for web & other digital design	–   Not based on pixels, which makes it subpar for detailed photography –   SVGs are made with the XML coding language, which can be difficult to learn
Portable Document Format (.pdf)	+  Supported across operating systems +  Great access control +  Supports both raster & vector files	–   Challenging to edit –   Extracting content can be difficult
Encapsulated PostScript Style (.eps)	+  Great for printing +  Great for billboards +  Lossless compression	–   Files can’t be edited after being saved –   Needs specialized software
Windows Metafile Format (.wmf) Enhanced Metafile Format (.emf)	+  Great for printing (rich colors) +  Stores image data for cross-platform display +  Lightweight; easy to line up print jobs	–   Difficult to modify –   Needs Microsoft equipment
Drawing Exchange Format (.dxf)	+  Open source +  Great for collaborative product design +  Ideal for architects and engineers +  Scale files with precision	–   Full support just for 2D objects –   Specific CAD elements might not be supported
CorelDRAW Image (.cdr)	+  Great for images with line-based elements +  Carries over functionalities from similar formats +  Great for billboards and car wrap designs	–   Native compatibility just with CorelDRAW –   The design industry is centered around Adobe products

What Is a Vector File Format?

Image files like PNG, GIF and JPG are “raster” files. These raster files distort during resizing because they depend on pixel instructions including the number, placement, and colors of the pixels. When enlarging a raster graphic past its intended resolution, computers have to guess where the pixels should go, creating blurriness.

Vector graphics don’t have pixels! They’re made with mathematical formulas which define lines, shapes and curves, and their positions relative to each other. The instructions work like this: “there is a circle here, a square here, a triangle here, and a curved line here”. The instructions are the same regardless of size, so a computer can always render the image smoothly.

Are Vectors Universally Great?

Because they lack pixels, vector images don’t have as much granularity as raster images. So, vector image formats are better for digital illustrations, icons, logos, or stylized art – rather than photorealistic images. Raster graphics capture color blends and minute details better, at the cost of resolution-dependency and large file sizes.

What Is a Vector File Used For?

Vector files are great for web design and digital art. A vector image is high-quality on a digital screen regardless of resolution. The image’s file size also stays the same. A vector graphic you see on your phone could be sized up to cover a billboard, and yet stay under 100KB. For example, if you want to add responsive animated graphics to a website, you could use SVGs instead of GIFs so that your PageSpeed Insights score remains high.

Vector files aren’t always the go-to solution though. Raster images are great for photography, complex color blends and complex compositions at a fixed resolution. However, vector images have a crisp quality no matter their dimension. They’re great for logos, animations, dynamic backgrounds, informational videos, line art, icons, buttons, and other UI elements.

Popular Vector Image Formats

What Is SVG?

 

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is used extensively for с and other digital design, as the format is made for screen displays. SVG uses the XML markup language, which is readable by both humans and machines.

Why does that matter? Because aside from the title, description, and alt tag of the mathematical SVG image, search engines also parse over the contents of the code. You can include keywords directly in the XML markup, increasing the chance of your images showing up in search results.

+ Small file sizes

+ Fast loading times

+ SEO-friendly

+ Great for web & other digital design

– Not ideal for detailed photographs

– The XML coding language can be difficult to learn

What Is EPS?

Encapsulated PostScript Style is an older vector type. It’s made for lossless printing in large formats. EPS is open source and focused on typography. If you’re creating poster or billboard designs and need to ensure flawless artistic text, EPS is for you.

+ Great for printing (even on outdated printers)

+ Great for billboards

+ Lossless compression

– Saved EPS files can no longer be edited

– EPS files need specialized software for opening and editing

What Is WMF / EMF?

Windows Metafile Format (superseded by Enhanced Metafile Format) is another file type used in the printing industry and for graphic design. Its main benefit is that it holds more image data than other metadata extensions. This translates to richer color details with more vibrancy.

+ Great for printing (rich color details)

+ Stores size, RGB color, dimension and other image data necessary for cross-platform display

+ Lightweight format; easy to line up print jobs

– Difficult to modify if mistakes are made

– Only works with Microsoft equipment

What Is AI?

No, not that kind of AI.

Instead, AI is the native vector file option for the eponymous Adobe Illustrator program. Adobe made .ai files to replace .eps, which they created as well. Easy scalability and small file sizes made the .ai format popular among designers for logos, print, business cards, drawings, transparent graphics, and more. Illustrator is also one of the most popular tools in the design industry.

In fact, Adobe Creative Cloud is arguably the most popular suite of web design tools. It includes Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, InDesign, Dreamweaver and Lightroom. Adobe .ai files are compatible with their other tools as well, making interoperability a key strength of the suite.

+ Small file sizes

+ Great for designs with transparency

+ Flawless typography

+ Supports layering

+ Great for printing, infographics, and digital design

+ Scalability without loss

+ Widely accepted format, plus it can be converted to raster easily

+ Natively integrates with other Adobe products

– Fully compatible only with Adobe Illustrator

– Can have a complex learning curve

You can get started on your web design journey with a special Adobe products discount from DontPayFull.com.

What Is CDR?

CorelDRAW Image is a vector extension exclusive to the CorelDRAW design program. CDR is generally used for graphic layouts and print, including brochures and magazines. Some designers think that CorelDRAW has an easier initiation than Illustrator. CDR is more present in the prepress industry.

+ Great for images with line-based elements

+ Carries over functionalities from similar formats

+ Great for marketing materials, billboards, and car wrap designs

– Native compatibility just with CorelDRAW products

– Non-Adobe file in an industry centered on Adobe products

What Is DXF?

Drawing Exchange Format is a vector file type popular with engineers and architects. Its users appreciate how simple it is to create 2D and 3D drawings with DXF, which makes product design easier. True to its nature, DXF is mostly used within CAD (computer-aided design) programs.

+ Open source

+ Ideal for collaborative product design even across different CAD programs

+ Great for architects and engineers

+ Easy to scale files with precision

– Fully supports only 2D objects

– Specific CAD elements might not be supported

What Is PDF?

Portable Document Format is a complex document and image file type. Most of us have used PDF for essays, resumes and e-books, but it can store raster and vector graphics too. PDF files are used to “carry” designs in a format that’s supported across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

+ Many color palettes, including RGB and CMYK

+ Supported across all core operating systems

+ Impressive access control features

+ Supports both raster and vector files

– Challenging to edit

– Extracting content can be difficult

Which Is the Best Vector File Format?

It depends on your design needs. Architects will say DXF is the most useful. SVG can be great for animations, logos, icons and buttons. Someone familiar with Adobe will find AI easier than CDR. Web designers also appreciate Adobe Illustrator for its sophisticated drawing tools, artboards (easy to visualize, separate and organize elements), typography control and plugins & extensions.

To choose the best file format for your needs, you should carefully examine the pros and cons, including which formats are open source, and which require proprietary tech to use.

Vector Image Formats FAQ

What Is a Vector Image?

Vector images are made with mathematical formulas instead of pixels. These formulas define lines, shapes, and curves, and their positions relative to each other. Thanks to this, vector images retain their quality no matter how much you scale them up or down. This isn’t true for raster graphics, which only preserve their pixel instructions up to certain sizes.

When scaled past those sizes specified in pixels, computers have to “guess” what a raster image would like. This is what leads to blurry images.

What Are Some Common Vector Image Formats?

Common formats include:

• SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
• EPS (Encapsulated PostScript Style)
• WMF / EMF (Windows Metafile Format / Enhanced Metafile Format)
• AI (Adobe Illustrator)
• CDR (CorelDRAW Image)
• DXF (Drawing Exchange Format)
• PDF (Portable Document Format)

What Are Vector Images Used For?

Vectors are particularly useful for logos, animations, dynamic backgrounds, informational videos, line art, icons, buttons, and other UI elements.

Which Vector Image Format Is Best?

There’s no real universal “best” vector image format. Which format you should use depends on your specific design needs. Architects often prefer DXF, while .ai is a favorite among Adobe users. SVG can be great for animations, and so on.