What is a Vector File?

So you've just placed your order for your brand new driving suit! Congratulations! What's next?

Now we start working with the Velocita design team to bring your vision to life. But there are a couple things we need from you. We need to know what colors you want your suit to be and we need the logos that you want on your suit in VECTOR format. But a question we get often: "What the heck is a vector file?" Allow us to explain!

There are two different file types with designers that work with logos, vector and raster files.

Raster files are essentially just images of the logo, and come in file types .jpg, .png, .gif. Unfortunately, raster files can't translate over into your suit design because the image is pixelated, warped and will not translate to our embroidery machines when we go to actually stitch and sew your suit. 

Now you may ask, "Why won't a .png work? It's a transparent file type." While some PNG's might work when we're designing your suit, they have to be extremely high quality for it to translate into our design and embroidery programs. 

Vector files are the highest quality files that we work with in designs, because those file types retain all the information regarding the shapes used when designing the logo, the colors and much more technical information that makes it incredibly easy for our design team and embroidery technicians to work with when making your suit. 

Vector files are typically in the following formats: .pdf, .ai, .svg, .eps

PDF is a universal file format by Adobe that preserves a documents fonts, formatting, images and layouts. Essentially it maintains the information from when your logo was designed, and allows us to make necessary changes if need be, and provides our team the highest quality file possible.

AI is short for Adobe Illustrator. That is a program that is typically used by digital designers in the industry. This is also an extremely high quality file type that we like to use because this also retains all the information that was used to design your logo, down to the colors and layers used. 

SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. Essentially, the file uses mathematical formulas (vectors) instead of pixels to allow graphics like logos, icons and illustrations to be scaled infinitely without losing quality. While this file doesn't hold as much information as PDF's or AI files, it's very helpful when we're scaling the images on your suit design and in the embroidery machine to ensure that there is no loss of quality in the logo. 

EPS stands for Encapsulated PostScript. It's essentially another version of the SVG file, where it uses mathematical formulas (vectors) instead of pixels to allow infinite scaling without losing quality. What makes EPS different from SVG is that it can help raster files, such as JPG's or PNG's, maintain their quality in scaling. EPS files are typically used in printing brochures, marketing materials, billboards, etc, but can also be very helpful when designing your suit. 

Now that you know the file types, where can you find these file types when it comes to designing your suit? Most of the time, your wrap company has these files ready for your car, and they can send those directly to us, or they can send them to you and you can send to us! If your wrap company doesn't have them, reach out to the company of the logo that you need and their marketing department will typically have a branding package or the files that they can send you! If worse comes to worse, we offer a service here at Velocita where we can redraw your logos for a fee, then you can keep the vector file for your wrap company or in your personal files, and we will keep it on file as well!

Now you're an expert on all the file types that are used in the design industry, and you also understand why vector files are very important to us, and where you can get those files! If you have questions about any of this information, we are always just a call or email away! #DriveFastTakeChances