A vector logo is one that is created through a program such as Illustrator, Indesing and less commonly, but still used Corel Draw or the now outdated Freehand. These types of programs work differently to Photoshop, the way in which they recognise or create objects contributes to whether they possess the vector characteristic or not.

Illustrator recognisers objects as vectors, which is to say, that if we make a square, Illustrator recognises it as a line, shaped into a square, that has a start and end point. Photoshop doesn’t see it like this, it would be seen as series of pixels.

There are many differences between these two file formats, largely the differences affect the size or weight of the files. The main difference is that a vector file is a lot lighter than a file that contains bitmap, therefore, download and transportation is much faster and more convenient. As we mentioned previously, the principal differences between the two are the way in which things are created and recognised in programmes.

Photoshop creates this as a series of pixels, which increase in size when we enlarge an object. When we are on the computer, we don’t appreciate the pixels on our screen, but when we try to print an image from the computer and make it larger, we can see the enlarged pixels which are not aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

A vector programme, such as Illustrator, recognises elements of a graphic as lines and they are not worried about how the object is formed but where the start and end points are. It doesn’t matter if this element is a straight line or a complete drawing. However, Photoshop only worries about the element’s position and not how it is filled. With a vector image we are able to enlarge anything we like.

When we are creating a logo we take into account all the points that we have mentioned, because, depending on the format used to create a logo, problems can be encountered when trying to use them with particularly large applications. We guarantee that with a vector logo we can enlarge it to any size needed, from a business card to a billboard, without losing its clarity.

The first and most important thing is that the logo can be enlarged by 300% or 800% (or whatever size needed) and it maintains the same high quality. Secondly, if the logo is in a editable vector format, as we supply at Factoryfy, the colours can be changed if needed. Now, we aren’t just talking about simple colour changes, but changes such as putting in a grey scale or changing it to be in negative contrast to its background, which are easily achieved when you have the editable file. OK, lets put ourselves into a real life situation. We want to create a flyer for our company and the designer asks us for our logotype which is not in vector format because the previous designer provided you with a logo in JPG. We give our JPG logotype to the designer who is going to make the flyer and, of course, the logo comes with a white background… What happens if we then want to put our logo on a coloured background? Below you can see the difference between a JPG logo and a vector logo on a pink background. Which one looks better?

In the example below, we see a logo on a bus stop. In the first image, which uses a logo in JPG format, we can see the pixel squares that create the logo and also the white background looks unprofessional.

The second image shows a logo in a vector format where these problems are not present.

With our vector logos it is also possible to separate different elements of the brand (if there is an image as well as text) and also scale the logo to any desired format. Vector logos offer a huge amount of possibility and with the demand on logos these days, creating them in a bitmap format is simply a waste of time.

Finally, so there is no doubt in mind that when we buy a logo it is 100% functional, we are going to explain which types of files are vector files. At Factoryfy, when a client is 100% satisfied with the finished product, we send them the most commonly used files of the logo: JPG in different resolutions (uneditable, bitmap), PNG in different resolutions (unditable, bitmap) and most importantly, the editable PDF (vector) so the logo can be used at any required size.

Here is a list of the most common vector and non-vector files.

You now have all the knowledge you need to buy a logo in the correct format. Now you know that bitmap and vector logos are not the same. When you next employ a designer or buy a logotype, you can ask the question ‘Will it be in a vector format?’ and more importantly you will understand the answer.