You’ve come to the right place if you’re asking what vector logo design is. A vector logo is designed using vector art, which employs mathematical models to calculate the distance between two points and create shapes and lines.
This means that logos are designed using vectors, so what we get are logos that are small in size and can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
When a company decides to design a logo, the best option is to choose a logo design in a vector format because of the flexibility offered by this technology.
We have already seen that vector logos are easily scalable without losing quality. Still, the main attribute of this format is its flexibility.
When you have a vector logo, you can easily convert it into any of the other raster formats you need, such as .jpg, .png .gif, and others.
Most Commonly Used Vector File Formats
1. AI
This stands for Adobe Illustrator, one of the leading software found in the Adobe creative suite. AI is the most commonly used editor for vector graphics that was initially meant for Apple Macintosh users but has been adopted by Windows users.
2. EPS
The initials stand for Encapsulated PostScript, another Adobe format for vector graphics. It has since been known to be the most stable of the formats, and even logos designed in Illustrator require one to have an EPS format as a backup.
The format is often recognized as the default in the print industry, and almost all the printing machines are programmed to recognize this file format.
3. SVG
This is known as the Scalable Vector Graphic. It was formulated by the world wide web consortium (W3C) as an alternative to the other two formats.
Traditionally web browsers have used raster images to output images. Still, countless screen resolutions make it challenging to have the same output quality.
SVG as a
4. PDF
This is another format developed by Adobe that is associated with presentations and the display of printed media.
The graphic elements displayed using pdf do not take up much space. They are usually viewed in the same quality across multiple devices.
This format also allows other features to be added to graphic elements, such as sound effects, animations, and links.
5. CDR
This is a Corel Draw format which was developed as an exclusive format. This means that to open or edit the images, you must be using Corel Draw if you are on Microsoft Windows. When using a Mac OS, you will need the Inkspace software.
The main advantage of CDR is its ability to maintain any special effects or parameters that the objects of the graphic may have.
Advantages Offered By a Vector Logo
Vector graphics are indisputably the best option for creating logos due to the high quality of the end product. Still, they also offer several advantages such as:
- Vector images are easy to edit as compared to other image types. This is achieved because an image can be split into basic geometric shapes. You can interact with those elements, making adjustments to each without experiencing any loss of quality.
- Scalability is one of the main advantages of vector images because there is no limit to the level of resolution you need, resulting in the loss of quality of the picture.
- The file sizes of vector images are small compared to other image types. This is a result of mathematical models used when rendering a vector image. On the contrary, file sizes of raster images have to be big because the program operating on the image must constantly map and track all pixels to render the image correctly.
- Vector designing software allows you a combination of different graphical elements and text, which is an essential option when designing logos.
- Another advantage is the ease of exporting options that vector programs offer to designers. Once you have designed a logo, you can easily export it to any vector format choice and any raster imaging format.
- This means that the designer can simply design a vector logo and then export it to different formats as may be needed for further use by various departments in the organization.
- Vector images are also easy to separate from the background since the shapes are composed of individual elements, unlike raster images where the image is part of the background.
What to Do When You Do Not Have a Vector File For Use
It is typical for a business owner to have a logo designed and not receive it in a vector file format.
This happens when the individual requests a new logo design, and in the end, the designer sends him the final logo graphic in png or jpg file type.
Most of the time, the designer will have the original vector file initially created, and all you have to do is request it.
An inexperienced designer might create a logo in a program initially developed for raster image editing, such as Adobe Photoshop, so your logo use might be limited.
Steps to Follow When you are Designing a Vector Logo From a Raster Image Using Illustrator
- When you open Adobe Illustrator, you will have the option to open a workspace where you will design your work.
- Illustrator offers a trace option for you to use, which you can get from the menu options.
- To add the image that you will use to trace, go to the menu and use the open option to open an image from the file. You can also drag and drop it into a workspace.
- When you click on the image you have just added to an artboard, you will open the tracing option.
- Before you proceed, it is essential to check all the options available. There is a preview option that you should check, which allows you to view all the changes you make to an image.
- A color complexity option allows you to choose how the colors will be displayed. You can test out the various options before proceeding.
- The path slider option is also important to check because it allows your tracer to know how closely the tracing will follow the pixels of your raster image.
- The corner slider option indicates how rounded or sharp the corners of the trace will be. You can preset this and also adjust it as you go.
- Finally, you can play around with the noise option. This option is significant because it allows the tracer to identify incongruent pixels and smoothen the lines around them.
- Once you have satisfied the criteria, you are now ready to trace. You can now click on the trace button, and a trace is performed on your original raster image.
- Once the trace is complete, click on the expand option to convert your traced image to vectors.
- Once this is done, your image is ready for export as a vector file, and when you are saving, you can choose the vector format of your choice.
