I confess that no matter how many times I ask, I can't wrap my head around the concept of what a vectored image is. So - I'm going to rephrase my question: why do I need for an image that is created for me to be vectored? Why won't a plain old .jpg do. Benefits - tell me what it's going to do for me?
Depends on why you need the image? Is it for a website, business card/brand? is it a logo or some form of identity you will use for your company? Vector images are used for print material such as business cards, shirts, posters etc etc. because they can be resized and when colored/printed they do not lose quality. Now in terms of you saying about a .jpg, vector images become .jpgs but I am assumng you meant why can you not have a Bitmap image made in photoshop? Well if your going to use an image for the web than photoshop would be the ideal choice, but if you need to ever print your "vector" than vectoring is what will be needed.
Vectoring is mathimatical based graphics in the file it contains numbers about where a certain shape goes, what color it is, and how big it is. Vector is great for things like logos because it can be resized for anything from print to web. For example if I needed my logo for a billboard instead of redesigning it for the billboard I would just resize the vector and it would look fine. If it was a jpeg it wouldn't be high quality if it was resized that big.
Okay - NOW I get what my son meant when he said, "Vector is based on math and not art." It's about algebra/geometry, and I don't GET it, but I am starting to get a glimmer of understanding. Now, what does 'fully vectored' mean?
it means that an image has no bitmapping to it, so it can be stretched as large as it wants to be and not lose quality.
Just in simple words it will be useful for web , printing which means you can use it in any size without any loss in quality.
With vector: you can make scale your graphics without getting pixel nightmare, vector doesnt use pixels! All posters and commercial graphics are run-through with vector software (illustrator), then scaled to right size, then maybe saving to .AI form -> importing to inDesign -> eBook with non-pixel images -> SHARP LOOKING BOOK!
Think of two circles.. one vector one bitmap(jpg)... The jpeg is made up of hundreds of small pixels. The vector circle has 4 points (top, bottom, left, right)... the relationship between the points is what makes up the curves that create the circle. No matter how large you make the circle (in your program) the relationship between the points(aka nodes) stays the same. Therefore it is always perfect.
A jpg logo will look fine on a business card, but imagine you now want to use the same logo on a billboard. Blowing up the same jpg image to that size will make it very blocky, it'll look like something out of Super Mario Brothers. With a vector logo you don't have that problem, you can make the image as large or as small as you like without loosing definition.
Usable on web, print etc. Vectoring an image means you can stretch it etc. without it loosing any quality.
You guys are terrific. I seriously feel like a lightbulb went off - and I'm privy to some inside code. Thank you all.
I design all logos in a vector program like illustrator...that way its scalable without loss of quality
Vector images are useful especially if you are doing logos and icons. Just as they said, It won't lose quality when you resize it.
Logos must be vectorised. I know, i dont say anything matter. But as a designer------ logos MUST be vector! Thank you.