Vector images describe shapes rather than pixels, so they stay sharp at any size and machines can follow their outlines. Here are the most common things people do with them.
There are fundamentally two different ways in which something gets printed on paper or clothes:
Rasterized printing - there are many printing techniques that fall under this general category. While the quality and feel of the end result may differ between them, it boils down to printing pixels on either paper or clothes. The most common printer types that most consumers are familiar with such as inkjet and laser printers fall into this category. There are even industrial inkjet style printers that can print on clothes.
Even though the printing is fundamentally done with pixels, it still makes sense to use vector images as the input as they allow taking full advantage of the printer's resolution (see below).
Shape printing - again, there are many printing techniques that fall under this general category. While the quality and feel of the end result may differ between them, it boils down to cutting or extruding the shapes of the input vector image in some base material (silk screens, copper plates, other) that is then used to transfer the relevant color to the right place on the end product.
These processes typically require vector input to work at all - in most cases you can't cut/extrude the base material without the shape definitions used in vector graphics.
Printing has much higher resolution (typically 600 pixels/dots per inch, DPI) than what you see on a computer screen (typically 72 pixels/dots per inch, DPI). This means that while something might show just fine on your screen, it is going to look "grainy" or pixelated when actually printed.
Screen printing and other shape printing processes use one screen or plate per ink, so a design with fewer colors is cheaper to print. Vector Magic lets you choose how many colors the result has.
See the Wikipedia articles on textile printing, flexography, screen printing, and digital printing.
There are many thousands of print shops around the world, and a local shop is often the best choice for signs, business cards and team shirts. Most ask for artwork as PDF, EPS or AI files.
Print-on-demand websites print your design on clothing, mugs, stickers and more, one item at a time. Some of these are:
These are listed for your reference and inclusion in this list does not constitute an endorsement by Vector Magic.
Signs come in all shapes and sizes and many of them are made using some form of vector image original.
Shop lettering, window graphics and decals are usually cut from colored vinyl by a vinyl cutter, which follows the outline of each shape. Banners, posters and vehicle wraps are printed on large-format printers, where a design may be scaled from a business card to the side of a truck.
Both work best from vector artwork: the cutter needs outlines to follow, and a vector design prints sharply at any size.
Home cutting machines such as Cricut and Silhouette cut vinyl, paper, card stock, fabric and heat transfer vinyl. They are used for wall decals, T-shirts, cards, stencils, labels and party decorations.
Their design apps import SVG files, and each color in the file becomes a separate layer to cut from its own material. Simple designs with fewer colors and smooth, closed shapes are quicker to cut and easier to weed.
See also: Cutting, Engraving and Embroidery
Laser cutters and engravers work wood, acrylic, leather, paper, glass and anodized metal. The laser follows vector paths to cut or score lines, and fills shapes to engrave them.
Signs, ornaments, coasters, jewelry, personalized gifts and model kits are commonly made this way. Laser software such as LightBurn imports SVG, PDF and AI files directly.
CNC routers, plasma cutters and waterjet cutters carve or cut shapes from wood, plastic, foam and metal by following vector paths. They are used for carved signs, furniture parts, metal art and machine parts.
CAM software turns the paths into tool movements. Many programs import SVG, and those that require DXF can be served by converting the file in a vector editor such as Inkscape.
Computer-controlled sewing machines can quickly stitch custom designs onto different kinds of clothing. This process typically requires vector input to work at all - the machine needs to be steered to stitch out the relevant shapes and that can't be done using only pixel based information.
Embroidery digitizing software, such as the free Ink/Stitch, turns each vector shape into stitches: satin stitches for narrow shapes and fill stitches for larger areas. Machine embroidery works best with bold shapes and few colors, since every color is a thread change.
Graphic design is done in many ways with many tools, but the versatility and flexibility of vector images make them a very natural canvas to use when creating different forms of graphics such as logos or drawings.
A logo has to work everywhere, from a website icon to a trade show banner, so designers keep it as a vector original. Vectorizing an old logo that only survives as a low-resolution image is often the first step in a rebrand or a print job.
Vector illustrations are easy to change: you can recolor shapes, remove a background, rearrange elements or combine them with text in any vector editor.
SVG is the web's vector format. Logos, icons and illustrations in SVG stay crisp on high-resolution phone and laptop screens, are often smaller than the equivalent image files, and can be recolored with CSS.
Smooth animations online, in apps and in motion graphics are often made from vector shapes. SVG can be animated directly in web pages, and animation tools such as Adobe After Effects import vector artwork so each shape can be moved, scaled and recolored independently.
3D modeling tools such as Tinkercad, Blender and Fusion import SVG outlines and extrude them into solid shapes. This is a quick way to 3D print cookie cutters, stamps, keychains, signs and logo badges from a flat design.
A scanned alphabet can become a working font: vectorize each letter, then assemble the glyphs in a font editor. Create a New Font