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What does Vector mean?

Many Coast Guard units only have low-resolution (ie "pixelly") copies of their unit crests.      To create apparel and patches for your unit, we first have to recreate your unit crest in "vector" format.

    Click here to view a sample unit crest vector file      (Opens in new window)

We'll use the Pacific Area Training Team's logo as an example of the process.

The artwork to the right was the only version they had on file.It would work okay for a website graphic, and maybe even for brochures or handouts. But while the design was probably done with a program like Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator, those original crisp files (vectors) were lost. Over time, the original artwork was saved at lower and lower sizes and resolutions, until now...when the text was barely legible.

The enlargement below shows the same image, but zoomed in to 500%. You can see just how much the image has degenerated after being "saved" many times over, and why it wouldn't be acceptable for use as a large sign or shirt screenprint.

To meet the PACAREA Training Team's requirements, we created a new Adobe Illustrator CS2 vector file that precisely captured the original design intent.

The resulting vector art can be viewed and printed at any scale -- whether business cards or billboards!  As an .eps file, it can be read by any vector-based graphics program, and even imported into Microsoft Word as clipart.   We also provided the TraTeam with high-resolution raster .jpg files, to make it easy to use the new graphic in their website and printed material.

As you can see, the end result is a much sharper, vibrant vector file that can be used on websites, fax pages or even a large sign:

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More About Vector vs. Raster

If you don't understand the difference between vector and raster, you're not alone!

The majority of images you see everyday on your computer are raster-based.  Raster graphics are simply a grid of pixels, with each pixel assigned a color.  When you zoom in on a raster image -- like a .jpg photo of your family reunion -- you soon see the pixels in Aunt Sally's face (or was that acne?).  

Raster art is terrific for photographs, because it can capture and show very realistic gradients in color - like the highlights and shadows in people's faces.   Newer digital cameras can take very high resolution photos, so you have to zoom in a LOT before you see Aunt Sally's pixels.    

The downside is that the file sizes can be very high  - in the 20-40 megabyte range - and image quality can be lost when the file is re-saved (as demonstrated by the Training Team example above).

Some artists still create logos in raster format;  this is a bad idea!  Patches and shirt art are very difficult to render from photographs.Also, these graphics often have far too much detail to display effectively -- like MARIA BRAY's hull number in this example from Sector Jax.   Still, to give credit to the artist, it's an excellent composition - lots of action, and tells a story!

So how is vector art different?

Vector art is based on mathematical formulas - not pixel colors.So instead of a series of colored blocks to create an image, a vector art file is composed of "instructions" that tell the computer to show a curve with a given length and bend, an area of certain color, etc.These instructions take up far less space than an equivalent raster image -- so a 40MB raster file may only be a 800KB vector file.That smaller size makes editing much more efficient, because your computer isn't freaking out while trying to render your changes.

The other huge advantage of vector is that the image is crisp no matter how far you zoom in. So you don't have to worry about a graphic being pixelly when you blow it up for a large sign, binder cover, etc.

CutterAgent uses only vector artwork for our products, so that we can better control how the graphic will look on patches, apparel, and other printed applications.

If you have additional questions about how vector works, or are trying your own hand at designing patches and logos, drop us a line...whether or not we do the design work, we want the Coast Guard to have the Armed Forces' best logos and crests!