There are two types of digital image formats: vector graphics and rasterized images. Let’s start with rasterized.

Pixel perfect

Jpegs, gifs, and pngs are all examples of rasterized, or photo-based images. If you zoom in really close to a rasterized image, you can see that it is made up of many tiny dots called “pixels.” These pixels can be reduced in size without losing quality, but try to enlarge one and your image will become distorted and “pixilated.” Another important point—unless your rasterized image is square or rectangular in nature, your graphic may be on a white background, which can be hard to cleanly separate from the image itself. Pngs and gifs can be transparent. Jpegs cannot.

Get to the point

The opposite, vector images are made up of flat color shapes and “points”. You will not see tiny dots when zooming into a vector graphic. You will see solid shapes and smooth lines. The main advantage of having a vector logo is that even the smallest graphic can be enlarged to any size without sacrificing any quality at all. Digital imaging advancements have allowed designers to create photo-realistic effects in vector programs to mimic rasterized details. However, there are some instances where a rasterized logo is still more suitable.

How to spot a vector file

A vector logo can have a file extension, such as : “.eps,” “.pdf,” “.ai” or “.fh.” You may not be able to open one of these files without a design program (which is why your designer probably gave you a jpeg or png as well) but it is still good to have on hand for those third-party requests. Hope that clarifies any confusion!