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What are vector graphics?
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When it comes to graphics, there are two basic types of image - raster and vector. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of both types of image is essential if you want to improve your employment prospects or launch a new career in design. Even if you don't realize it, you're probably already quite familiar with raster images, but what are vector graphics and how can Illustrator training help you understand how to work with these powerful images?
It's all about scale
Ever visited a webpage, only to notice that some of the images are distorted or unclear? That's probably because the site is using inappropriately sized raster images. Common file extensions used for raster images include .jpg, .bmp and .tif, and the quality of raster images depends on how many pixels - tiny square units that comprise the image - the picture has. The greater the number of pixels, the better the image quality. Of course, from a Web development perspective, larger images can take longer to load in a Web browser. Another drawback to raster images is that they can only be scaled to a certain degree before the image quality degrades.
As their name implies, vector graphics are not made up of pixels, but instead rely on mathematical data - or vectors - that defines things like curves, line weight and other elements. As vector graphics are composed of numerical information, they can be scaled up or down as much as you like, as the basic vectors that specify the parameters of the image never change.
Digital artistry
Adobe Illustrator training at the American Graphics Institute is the perfect first step for those wishing to learn more about the creation of vector graphics. Unlike image manipulation techniques such as those commonly used in Photoshop, composing vector graphics in Illustrator can be much closer to the traditional artistic experience. You can use a digital tablet to draw complex forms directly in Illustrator, before using tools like bezier handles to manipulate the qualities of everything from the shape of curves to the thickness of lines.
Illustrator is an essential tool for aspiring graphic designers to master, as without the ability to create unique artwork, you're left at the mercy of stock imagery or existing assets. Unleash your creative potential and master the fundamentals of this exciting program through Illustrator classes at the American Graphics Institute.
About the author
Jennifer Smith is a user experience designer, educator and author based in Boston. She has worked in the field of user experience design for more than 15 years.She has designed websites, ecommerce sites, apps, and embedded systems. Jennifer designs solutions for mobile, desktop, and iOT devices.
Jennifer delivers UX training and UX consulting for large Fortune 100 companies, small start-ups, and independent software vendors.She has served as a Designer in Residence at Microsoft, assisting third-party app developers to improve their design solutions and create successful user experiences. She has been hired by Adobe and Microsoft to deliver training workshops to their staff, and has traveled to Asia, Europe, India, the Middle East, and across the U.S. to deliver courses and assist on UX design projects. She has extensive knowledge of modern UX Design, and worked closely with major tech companies to create educational material and deliver UX workshops to key partners globally. Jennifer works with a wide range of prototyping tools including XD, Sketch, Balsamiq, Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Blend for Visual Studio. She also works extensively in the fields of presentation design and visual design.
Jennifer is also an expert on Photoshop, digital image editing, and photo manipulation. Having written 10 books on Photoshop, and having consulted and provided training to major media companies and businesses around the globe.
Jennifer is the author of more than 20 books on design tools and processes, including Adobe Creative Cloud for Dummies, Adobe Creative Cloud Digital Classroom, and Photoshop Digital Classroom. She has been awarded a Microsoft MVP three times for her work with user experience design in creating apps for touch, desktop, and mobile devices. Jennifer holds the CPUX-F certification from the User Experience Qualification Board and assists others in attaining this designation in leading a UX certification course at American Graphics Institute. She is a candidate for a Master’s degree in Human Factors in Information Design.