Vector vs raster: what's the difference?
Vector graphics describe an image as math (paths, curves, fills) so they scale infinitely with no pixelation; raster graphics store a fixed grid of pixels that blurs when enlarged. Vectors suit logos, icons, and anything printed at multiple sizes; raster suits photographs.
Understanding vector vs raster
A raster image (PNG, JPG) is a grid of colored pixels. It looks fine at its native size, but enlarge it and the pixels stretch into visible blur — there is no more detail to show. Photographs are inherently raster.
A vector image (SVG) stores instructions — "a curve from here to there, filled with this gradient" — so a renderer can draw it crisply at any size, from a favicon to a billboard. That resolution independence is why brand marks and print-on-demand art should be vector.
The practical rule: if it needs to scale, be re-colored, or be cut/printed at several sizes, use vector; if it is a photograph, use raster. AI can convert between them — generating vectors directly, or vectorizing a raster into paths.
Why vector wins
Own one editable vector that scales to every product.
The design workspace where these ideas are real
Agents that generate, a canvas they can see and drive, and a brain that keeps every asset on-brand. Free to start.