What on earth is a vector, you may be wondering…

Isn’t that just a fancy term for a digital design? Well, we’ll give you two answers. First, the technical boring answer that will put you to sleep before you even finish reading this. And then the term that won’t make you feel like you’re back in school needing to take notes.

Let’s dig in!

Vector Graphics are mathematical equations and formulas to draw out points, lines, curves, and shapes.

Don’t worry, this isn’t about to turn into a geometry lesson here! This is the bare bones definition of what a vector graphic is. But here’s the secret… It’s not an important fact to know. In fact, it’s probably not even helpful. You’re a Picasso, not a Pythagoras!

So, here’s what you actually need to know:

There are the “old-school”, traditional digital graphics and the fancy term we use for them is called a “raster graphic”. I know, I know. More terms. Don’t sweat, there’s not a quiz at the end! You use these graphics every day, I bet. We call them PNG, JPEG, or GIF that are saved in a file format.

But they are a pain in the r’ass’ter (don’t put us in pun-jail for that one!) and here’s why: Raster graphics pixelate when you blow them up to enlarge, making the image blurry and fuzzy. And no, it’s not your prescription contacts. It’s the raster.

This is where vectors come in to save the day.

Vectors are graphics in PDF, EPS, or AI format (we explain what these files are in another post). They can be the same exact graphic as a raster but better and crisper. When you blow up a vector, it remains clear with sharp edges no matter how big you make it.

This is why professionals, artists, and graphic designers everywhere know vectors are a must for any project, creation, or product. This is why we use high-quality vector graphics at Graphic Buddies. Because t-shirt designs shouldn’t make you squint. 😉