Vector vs raster for logo design is not a debate if you've done both

I keep seeing people in here say you can get away with a high-res PNG for a logo if you're careful. Spent 3 years doing everything in raster before I finally forced myself to learn Illustrator back in 2018. First time I had to scale a client's logo to fit on a 48 foot banner truck, that vector file saved me from having to redo the whole thing. The difference is having paths instead of pixels when the printer asks for a different size at the last minute. Has anyone else run into issues with raster logos that made you switch for good?

2 comments

2 Comments

price.jake28d ago

Honestly, I used to be one of those people who thought a high res PNG was fine. I figured if the file was big enough, scaling wouldn't be an issue. Then I had to print a small logo on a trade show banner and the edges came out fuzzy. That was the moment I realized I was wrong. Working with vectors is just easier when you need to change sizes quickly. I still use raster stuff for mockups and web graphics, but for anything print related, it has to be a vector file now. It saves me from having to rebuild the whole design later.

ross.river28d ago

Man, I feel your pain on that one. I had a client ask me to resize a logo for a truck wrap once, and the PNG turned into a pixelated mess when we blew it up. Now I tell everyone I work with to always send me the vector version, even if they think the PNG looks fine on their screen. For print work, vectors are the only way to go because you never know when someone's gonna want it on a billboard or a business card. I keep a few raster files for quick social media posts, but anything that gets printed goes straight to the vector file folder.