If your business isn’t investing in vector graphics, it should be. And we’re going to tell you why. Some advertising agencies don’t want to share why vector images are so powerful because they are concerned of having less work for their creative team if businesses learn to self-serve. We know the value of any agency partnership should extend far beyond campaign churning and burning so we’re not worried about giving this information out. We’re here to talk about vector graphics.
WHAT ARE VECTOR GRAPHICS:
Vector graphics are perfectly scalable, mathematically-based images and designs that create pictures and logos based on layered shapes, gradients, and patterns. Designers (or business owners), can make images that can be shrunk or enlarged for any print or digital work imaginable. The file sizes tend to be smaller and cleaner than enhanced images making sharing, editing, and updating a breeze.
AS OPPOSED TO WHAT:
You’ve probably seen vector graphics hundreds of times but didn’t realize it; They look as good as any picture or Photoshop project you can imagine. In fact, many designers work exclusively in vectors since they are much easier to edit than photographic images. This is especially true for logo and icon work. Vectors are created using tools such as Adobe Illustrator (or the free-based Vector software). Unlike photography, vector graphics allow you to create pictures that can be duplicated, recolored, and manipulated with no limitations. Check out some ways we’ve helped local businesses do just that.
WHO CARES:
This is important for several reasons. First, it creates seamless brand consistency. Need to change your logo to appear on a dark background versus a light background ? It covers that. Need to adjust the size of your logo to fit on a business card? No problem. Need a web icon that will appear across the site? It’s got you covered. Typical image edits a business needs to make on a day-to-day basis are easy to implement using vector graphics. What might take an hour or two on Photoshop usually only takes a few minutes using vectors. Because vectors are easy to edit and scale, you don’t need to worry about accidentally going off brand or radically skewing your image. Every aspect of the image can be easily duplicated or edited down to the very layer.
Vectors are also easy to create. You don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for a high-end photoshoot when you can create beautiful images from the comfort of your laptop. It also means you can rely less on generic stock images and more on the creative vision you have for your team. Once you invest in a few great vector graphics, you can repurpose them and edit them for a wide variety of needs giving you the best bang for your buck. Vector images can be customized to your exact liking so you never have to worry about seeing your images on a competitive website or campaign unlike stock photography. And unlike customized photoshoots or artwork, you can cut cost without cutting quality. And we can help.
WHEN TO CALL THE PROS:
Once you have a foundation of vector images to use, edits are easy. We’re confident any business owner or designer can extend the life and relevancy of your vector graphics across channels and creative needs. But, it’s best to leave that foundation to the pros. If you’re unsure what types of vectors would be most useful, give us a call. We’ll help you determine how you plan to use your vectors, what types of edits might be most common to your business, and what your key assets should be. We can build the start of our creative foundation together to use for your brand guidelines, campaign needs, and beyond.
