When it comes to marketing, you need eye-catching visuals to go along with your material to attract the audience’s attention. Without them, the consumers will not take notice of your advertisement and disregard it as boring and unattractive.
In fact, the human brain is said to be built for visual information:
- It processes visuals 60,000 times faster than texts.
- 80% of viewers remember what they see, compared to ten percent of what they hear and 20 percent of what they read.
- 90% of the information processed by the brain is visual.
And the range of benefits can go on and on.
Simply put, images are important, and vector graphics can add a powerful statement to your marketing endeavor by visually communicating important information more effectively. And since they are easy to edit and work with, they are a functional addition to your creative workflow.
What are Vector Graphics?
Digital designs are broken down into two categories – Raster Graphics and Vector Graphics. Most people are familiar with the first one – the raster or the .jpg image that we get from our digital cameras. If you have ever tried to zoom in on these images, you must have noticed the image becomes blurry and the colors turn into tiny squares or dots. These are called pixels, and if you have ever tried editing one of these pictures, you would agree that it can be quite time-consuming and hectic to change even the minute detail.
So what are vector graphics you may wonder? Well, you may see thousands of vectors every day without realizing the difference.
Unlike raster images, vector graphics are created using points, lines, and shapes. Generally, they are 2D images, but often layering different elements and textures can give the vector images a 3D appearance. The most common format for vector graphics is .SVG, but you will also see some other formats including .xml, .eps, .cgm, and .odg.
When it comes to the differences between vector graphics and raster graphics, the main difference is that the rasters are made up of pixels. These are square-based while vector-based images are made up of four points. The computer automatically detects the points and creates a square. It also fills out the square with whatever color you choose.
This also means that no matter how large or small or how close you zoom in on a vector image, the lines, curves, and points remain smooth. There will never be jagged lines or blurriness in these types of images – no matter how large you enlarge. Also, you can change the colors easily on these graphics as they are separated into any type/size of a shape.
Common Uses of Vector Images
Since vector graphics are so easy to work with and store, they are the top choice for both – online and print advertisement. Most often, businesses use vector graphics for advertising and marketing, as well as brand collateral.
Besides these, there are many uses for vector graphics including:
- Advertising campaigns
- Animations
- Apps
- Website interface
- Logos
- Embroidery
- Signage
- Event promotion
- Fonts
- Hard Copy Printing like t-shirts, mugs, etc.
- Infographics
- Magazine covers
- Landing pages
- PowerPoint presentations
With this being said, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of why vector graphics are an ideal choice for online advertisement campaigns.
Aesthetically Appealing
The details of vector images are clearer with the lines finer than raster images. This keeps the designs visually interesting, regardless of the size. The same cannot be applied to bitmap or raster images as the end product usually becomes blurred if the actual image size is modified.
They are also unique and unlike raster images, give your brand a fresh voice each time they are portrayed on the digital or print medium.
Easily Available
There are several creative programs that make the creation of vector images very easy. You can also purchase stock images of readily available vector images and use them as it is on your marketing material.
They are cost-effective as well, and you can easily purchase high-quality, professional-looking vector images in a very small amount.
Infinite Resolution
Vector graphics have ‘infinite’ resolution because they never lose their quality even if you zoom in on the picture significantly. Unlike pixel or raster photographs that are dependent heavily on resolution, the vector designs are resolution-independent and do not depend on pixels. Instead, the software always knows where the point on the screen is and the lines that connect them – making them picturesque without compromising on the overall outcome.
Make Great Logos
As we mentioned above, vector designs can be easily modified without having to compromise on the quality. This is a vital factor for designers as their logos and other design elements can be used across several platforms, be it billboards on the road or small sections of a business card. This flexibility also makes it a great addition to print merchandise, including mugs, t-shirts, coasters, and even refrigerator magnets.
Easily Editable
Graphics in a vector design can be easily altered. Here, the entire design doesn’t have to be scraped off to being a new one. You can conveniently edit the parts that need fixing and go from there.
Easily Editable Graphics in a vector design can be easily altered. Here, the entire design doesn’t have to be scraped off to being a new one. You can conveniently edit the parts that need fixing and go from there. Additionally, aspects such as colors, layouts, and even transparent background can be easily changed with a single click saving the designers a lot of time and effort.
Intuitively Created
If you are creating vector images, you can make one the same way you would draw on paper. Vector editing software would allow you to draw shapes like rectangles, squares, and circles with gestures that resemble drawing on a paper.
And just like a drawing, you can draw lines to create anything you want – from simple shapes to complex, realistic illustrations.
Smaller File Size
Unlike raster images which require you to store every pixel, vector designs can be saved as independent objects. Moreover, vector images are resolution independent, making them an ideal design material for sharing, storing, and downloading.
It would also be good to know that vector images on your site or social media will typically load faster than photographs. This is why they are great for mobile use, and this is a plus point as most users nowadays, use their smartphones for online shopping, research, social media surfing, and general internet browsing.
Images Beat Text… Every Time
As the statistics above state, we live in a visual world and if something attracts our eyes, we stop and take the time to look at it. This is why using vector images is a guaranteed way to gain the audience’s attention and boost the response time for your business.
They Are Unique
In today’s competitive world, not just any image will do. This is why many businesses prefer to use vector designs as they are unique and effective enough to stand out. These images also appear professional and remain consistent with the overall company’s message.
Wrapping it up!
These were just some of the benefits of using vector images in an online advertisement campaign. When it comes to digital marketing, a picture does say a thousand words, so use images proactively and when needed, utilize vector images to make your content stand out.