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Vector and Raster Artwork? What Is The Difference?

Vector and Raster Artwork? What Is The Difference?

At AllRush, we work with all types of files for print production. We receive artwork files that are thought to be high quality, print ready files, however, some are not.  The most common issues we find are the challenges between converted files from vector to raster or vice versa. This article will help inform and explain the differences between the two types of graphics and their most effective uses. Defining Graphics Vector graphics are composed of mathematical equations to form geometric shapes such as points, lines, curves, shapes and/or polygons. Each graphic is controlled by a point or node that accurately determines the direction of the pathway as it connects to multiple points or nodes; forming a single shape or line. It stores the information of its x and y positioning along with its assigned properties (colour, stroke thickness, fill, etc) to create the desired image. Vector graphics maintain a cutting-edge appearance and can be easily edited, and resized to any dimension without hindering the quality/resolution. Especially when it comes to making modifications, rearrangement, or just minor tweaks; it becomes easier and quicker to execute those using a design software. Ideally used for logos, infographics, icons, graphic illustration or promotional material. Raster graphics (also known as bitmaps) are not made out of geometric shapes; instead, they use what is called a dot matrix data structure. Basically, they are a rectangular grid of tiny squares most commonly known as pixels. Each pixel represents a single color value to define the image. Raster graphics may be restricted by its determined height and width. It can beautifully capture realistic imagery and photography. With various color information stored in each pixel, it can be quite challenging or difficult to edit these images, let alone resizing them. Quality will be affected here. Ideally used for photography, photo-realistic imagery, or multiple variations of colours (such as gradients). Two of the same words that look the same Close up to reveal the difference How Do I Know If The Files Are Workable? It can be tricky to tell if the file is workable or not since they may look the same on a screen. But when it comes to print, it’s a different story as it requires high quality images and/or vector artwork to produce crystal clear quality imaging. Here are some examples of knowing the difference: Commonly Known File FormatsVector File Formats: .AI, .EPS and .SVGRaster File Formats: .PSD, .JPEG, .PNG and .GIFImage Quality (For Raster) PDFs PDFs may be challenging to show if some images and/or text are in vector or raster. There are some ways to tell by simply zooming in closely at the page. Vector will maintain its sharpness as it can be easily editable. Raster will simply pixelate as you zoom in, thus limiting editing option. Not all raster image/text are not quality worthy, some are able to print just as near-perfect as vector. Ideally, vector files are the way to go as they constantly maintain sharp, high quality graphics no matter the size or adjustments. A change in its attributes simply means recalculating the mathematical equations. It requires little effort for modifications or reuse for future purposes. This doesn’t apply to realistic or photographic imagery since they are raster. For raster images, the quality is determined by its resolution, known as dpi (dots per inch) for print, or ppi (pixels per inch) for digital screens. The most preferred resolution for print would be 300dpi, however if the image is scaled lower, the resolution increases. For digital screens (tv, monitors, cell phones, etc), it would be 72ppi. Scaling up however will decrease the resolution; resulting in the loss of quality. At AllRush Copies & Print Services, we have a full design team ready to assist and guide you through your design requirements. Creating or converting artwork to the highest quality for both print and digital use is never a problem for our highly skilled team. Contact us today and a representative will assist you!

Colour Space: RGB vs CMYK

Colour Space: RGB vs CMYK

The colour space of your design file is often overlooked when creating artwork. The two most common colour modes, RGB and CMYK are vastly different in how they achieve your designs colours. Evaluating whether your project will be printed or published online will play a major role in defining the way you treat photos, icons and colour in general. Simply relying on your print vendor or final export to automatically make the necessary adjustments to your design is a recipe for disaster if you’re producing artwork for both print and digital use. RGB Mode: RGB is a model that is used to display images electronically to produce the colours red, green and blue. RGB is an additive model as the three colours are added together to produce the entire spectrum of colours that may be present in your design. Since RGB is a device dependent model, the response to levels across several devices is typically not the same and can vary significantly. What this means is that your artwork’s colours will look slightly different to just about everyone who views it on their iPad compared to those viewing it on their smart phone or home computer. The strength of RGB mode lies is in its ability to maintain a reasonable level of accuracy across the web, video, photography and other digital applications. CMYK Mode: A model that is used in colour printing that refers to the four inks used in the process; Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black). CMYK is a subtractive model because the inks subtract the brightness away from white as they produce the range of colours that may be in your artwork. This process not only saves ink but also produces much deeper dark tones by using black ink instead of a combination of cyan, magenta and yellow. In order to print an RGB file in CMYK, a colour conversion must first take place to maintain a level of accuracy that is true to the original design. There isn’t a general conversion formula between RGB and CMYK so comparison and matching can be very challenging which increases the chance of your artwork not printing as originally intended. This is why it’s important for your initial design to be created in CMYK or at the very least be converted to CMYK before hand-off. Converting to CMYK: Aside from manually changing and matching all of your colour swatches, most professional level creative software will allow you to convert your colour space on existing files. Grayscale, CMYK and RGB are commonly found as colour mode options in programs like Adobe CS, Quark Xpress and Corel Draw. Converting your colour space will not necessarily optimize all your colours but it will give you a very clear indication as to whether or not you will need to make further adjustments. Note: Once you convert to a CMYK colour space do not attempt to convert back. There has been a data loss that will not allow you to return to the original colours – it’s best to save a new version so you have a backup.­

Adding “Bleed” in Adobe Illustrator

Adding “Bleed” in Adobe Illustrator

Once you have created your artwork you need to extend any backgrounds, images and graphics close the edge of the page manually, then use Illustrator to specify the extended amount of bleed. Once you have created your artwork you can then use Illustrator to specify the amount of bleed you require, then extend any backgrounds, images and graphics close to the edge of page to fill the bleed. Adding bleed makes Illustrator print more of the artwork that is located beyond the trim marks. The trim marks dictated from the artboard size still define the size of the page. Standard bleed size is 0.125” on each edge of the page but if printing large format prints then 0.5” on each side of the page is required. Adding Bleed

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