What is vector art? Vector images and vector graphics explained
VectorArt.ai ▪ October 3rd, 2024
Vector art is digital artwork built from points, lines and curves that are stored as math instead of pixels. Because the computer redraws those shapes at whatever size you need, a vector image stays sharp on a phone screen and on a billboard. Logos, icons, illustrations and fonts are usually vector art, and the most common vector file format today is SVG.
This guide covers what vector art is, with examples, how vector images differ from raster images, the main vector graphics formats, and three ways to create vector art yourself: with AI, by tracing a photo, or by hand.
What is vector art?
Vector art is any illustration made of vector shapes. Each shape is a path: a series of anchor points connected by straight lines or curves (called Bézier curves), with a fill color, an outline, or both. A circle, for example, is saved as a center point and a radius rather than as thousands of colored dots.
That has three practical effects:
- It scales without losing quality. Make it ten times bigger and the edges stay crisp, because the shape is recalculated, not stretched.
- It stays editable. You can change one color, move one point or resize one element without touching the rest.
- It is usually small. A logo described by a few dozen paths takes a few kilobytes.
You will also hear vector art called vector drawings, vector illustrations or vector graphics. They all mean the same thing: artwork stored as shapes, not pixels.
Examples of vector art
Most graphics on screens and in print that aren't photos are vector art: logos, icons, fonts, charts, signs, stickers and t-shirt prints. It comes in many styles. The six below are from the VectorArt.ai library, and each one downloads as an SVG.
What these have in common is that every part is a shape with a fill or an outline. Photos, soft airbrushed painting and film grain are hard to describe with shapes, so they stay raster images.
What is a vector image? Vector vs raster images
A vector image is a picture defined by geometric shapes and their colors. A raster image (also called a bitmap) is a fixed grid of pixels, like a photo from your phone. The difference shows as soon as you zoom in:
Move your cursor over and around the images to see the magnified views.
The SVG stays crisp at any zoom level, while the JPEG turns into visible pixels.
| Vector image | Raster image | |
|---|---|---|
| Made of | Paths: points, lines, curves | Pixels in a fixed grid |
| Scaling | Sharp at any size | Blurry or pixelated when enlarged |
| Best for | Logos, icons, illustrations, type, print | Photos, detailed painting, textures |
| Editing | Change any shape or color separately | Edit pixels; resizing loses detail |
| Formats | SVG, AI, EPS, PDF | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP |
Rule of thumb: if it needs to look clean at many sizes, make it a vector image. If it is a photograph, keep it raster. For a longer comparison, read what is a vector image.
What are vector graphics? Formats: SVG, AI, EPS and PDF
Vector graphics is the general term for images stored as shapes, and for the field of making them. The same artwork can be saved in several vector file formats:
- SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). The open web standard. Every browser displays it, it can be styled with CSS, and it is the format most tools export. Use SVG for websites, apps, cutting machines and general sharing. More in what is SVG.
- AI (Adobe Illustrator). Illustrator's native format. It keeps layers, artboards and effects, but most other programs open it only partly. See what is an AI vector file.
- EPS (Encapsulated PostScript). An older print format still asked for by print shops and stock sites. Widely supported, but it handles transparency poorly.
- PDF (Portable Document Format). Can hold vector artwork and opens on any computer, which makes it a safe way to send a logo to someone without design software.
Other vector formats you may meet are CDR (CorelDRAW), DXF (CAD and laser cutters) and the font formats TTF and OTF. If in doubt, export SVG for screens and PDF or EPS for print. For the full list, see what is a vector file.
How to create vector art and vector graphics
There are three ways to create vector art. Which one fits depends on whether you are starting from an idea, from an existing picture, or want full manual control.
1. Create vector art with AI
The fastest way is an AI vector art generator. You describe what you want and get a finished SVG.
- Open the VectorArt.ai generator.
- Describe the subject and the style, for example "flat icon of a coffee cup with steam, 2 colors, thick outlines".
- Pick the result you like and download it as SVG (or PNG).
- Recolor or tweak it in the SVG color editor, or open it in any vector editor.
Short prompts that name a style (flat, line art, geometric, cartoon) and limit the colors give the cleanest vectors. For 25 prompts that work well, see prompt engineering for vector images.
2. Turn a photo or drawing into vector art (tracing)
If you already have a picture, such as a logo saved as PNG, a scan of a sketch or a photo, you can trace it into vector paths. This is called vectorizing.
- Upload the image to the AI vectorizer. It traces the shapes and colors into paths and gives you an SVG.
- For a straight PNG to SVG conversion with control over colors and detail, use SVG.new's PNG to SVG converter.
- Check the result at full size and remove stray shapes or the background if needed with the background remover.
Tracing works best on images with flat colors and clear edges. Photos with soft gradients turn into many small shapes; for those, simplify the image first or use the result as a stylized version. Step-by-step guides: convert PNG to SVG and convert JPG to SVG.
3. Draw vector art by hand in Illustrator or Inkscape
For complete control, draw the paths yourself in a vector editor. Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard (paid); Inkscape is free and open source; Affinity Designer and Figma are popular alternatives.
- Start with basic shapes: rectangles, ellipses and polygons.
- Use the pen tool to draw custom paths. Click to place anchor points, drag to pull out curves.
- Combine and cut shapes with Pathfinder in Illustrator, or Path, Union and Difference in Inkscape.
- Add fills, outlines and gradients, then group related parts.
- Export as SVG for the web, or PDF or EPS for print.
A common shortcut is to place a photo or sketch on a locked layer and trace over it with the pen tool. More detail in how to make vector art.
Where to get free vector art
If you would rather start from something that exists, VectorArt.ai has a free library of AI-generated vector art. Every image can be downloaded as SVG or PNG, and you can open any of them in the editor or ask the generator for a similar one.
Popular places to start:
- Categories: minimalist, butterfly, heart, music, cat, cartoon and all categories.
- Illustration sets in one consistent style, such as Corporate Memphis, Liquid Elegance and all collections.
- Browse the newest images, or search for a subject.
When you use vector art from anywhere else, check the license. Free stock sites often require attribution or limit commercial use.
Why vector art is used for logos, icons and print
Vector art is the default for anything that has to work at many sizes. A company logo has to fit a favicon, a business card, a t-shirt and a storefront sign; as vector art, one file covers all of them. The same goes for icons on screens of different resolutions, and for print, where the printer needs sharp edges at full size.
It is also easy to change. Recoloring a logo for a dark background, swapping one element or resizing a layout takes minutes instead of a redraw.
Vector art is not the right choice for everything. Photographs and painterly images with subtle shading need millions of color variations that shapes cannot capture efficiently, so they stay raster (JPG, PNG or WebP). Detailed vector art also takes practice to draw by hand, which is where AI generation and tracing help.
How to open, edit and share vector files
You don't need design software to view vector art. Any web browser opens SVG files, and any PDF reader opens vector PDFs. To edit them:
- SVG: any vector editor, or in the browser with the VectorArt.ai SVG editor and SVG optimizer.
- AI: Adobe Illustrator; Inkscape and Affinity Designer can import most files.
- EPS and PDF: Illustrator, Inkscape, Affinity Designer or CorelDRAW.
When you send vector art to someone, pick the format they can use: SVG for developers and websites, PDF for clients without design software, EPS or PDF for print shops. If someone needs a regular image, export a PNG at the size they need, for example with SVG to PNG.
Start making vector art
The quickest way to understand vector art is to make some. Describe an image to the AI generator, download the SVG, and open it in any editor to see the paths.
Frequently asked questions
What is vector art in simple terms?
Vector art is digital artwork drawn with points, lines and curves that a computer stores as math instead of pixels. Because the shapes are recalculated at every size, vector art never gets blurry or pixelated when you enlarge it.
What is a vector drawing?
A vector drawing is an illustration made of editable paths. Each path is a set of anchor points joined by straight lines or curves, with a fill and outline color. Logos, icons, line art and technical drawings are usually vector drawings.
What is the definition of a vector image?
A vector image is a graphic defined by geometric shapes (points, lines, curves and polygons) and their colors, rather than by a fixed grid of pixels. It is resolution-independent, so it can be scaled to any size without losing quality. SVG, AI, EPS and PDF are common vector image formats.
Are PNG and JPG files vector images?
No. PNG, JPG, GIF and WebP are raster formats made of pixels. To get a vector version you have to trace the image into paths, for example with an AI vectorizer, or redraw it in a vector editor.
How do I turn an image into vector art?
Upload it to an image vectorizer, which traces the shapes and colors into paths and gives you an SVG. Simple images with flat colors and clear edges, such as logos and icons, give the cleanest results. You can then fine-tune the SVG in an editor like Inkscape or Illustrator.
Is vector art the same as digital art?
No. Digital art is any art made on a computer. Vector art is one kind of digital art, stored as shapes; digital paintings and edited photos are raster art, stored as pixels.
What are examples of vector art?
Logos, icons, fonts, flat illustrations, line art, patterns, infographics and the cut files used by vinyl cutters are usually vector art. Photos and painterly digital art usually are not.
Can AI create vector art?
Yes. An AI vector art generator like VectorArt.ai turns a text description into an image and converts it to SVG paths, so you can download a scalable vector file and edit it like any other vector graphic.
What is the best free software for vector art?
Inkscape is the most complete free desktop vector editor and works on Windows, macOS and Linux. For quick results without drawing, an AI generator or vectorizer in the browser is faster.
Where can I download free vector art?
VectorArt.ai has a free library of AI-generated vector images organized by category and collection, from logos and icons to illustrations and patterns. Every image can be downloaded as SVG or PNG.
Looking for an image rather than a how-to? Download free vector art from the VectorArt.ai library as SVG or PNG.
