Great Lakes Media Technology Blog

Vectors Versus Pixels

Our goal is to have your disc print perfect. While perfection is certainly not always possible, we can strive for it and keep a few things in mind. There are 2 types of art to be aware of when printing on a disc: vector-based and pixel-based. Each is unique and serves a special purpose. It is important to understand the different formats for various types of art to achieve our ultimate goal of the perfect disc.

Vector-based art is perfect for all text and line illustrations. Vector art uses mathematical equations to create the lines and points that make up your design. Each of the lines will be crisp and clear at any size you choose. This art is ideal for those occasions you would like to type out text, place your simple logo on a print piece, and especially when you would like to print in spot colors. One of the preferred programs used to create vector graphics is Adobe Illustrator

Pixel-based art is made up of little dots of color. Pixel art is ideal for photographs. Many different color dots (pixels) make up an image. Pixel art, though, is meant to stay at a certain size so it is important to create usable art at the size you intend to print. The larger you re-size your image the worse the quality gets. A visual inspection prior to sending them off is crucial for these types of files to make sure everything is crisp enough. Adobe Photoshop is the program most commonly used when working with photographs.

These two programs can work together and create a variety of art. Images can be placed in Illustrator and text can be created in Photoshop but the limitations of each program must be kept in mind. In the end it is best to use each program for what it is intended.