Categories Ortwein Insights Author

Raster vs. Vector Files: What You Need to Know for Your Business Signs

Signs are a visual medium, and that’s why our team takes so much care designing and adapting our clients’ branding to fit perfectly with their signs. That means incorporating the right fonts, styles, colors, and of course pictures and logos. Logos and pictures in particular are crucial, and that’s why we wanted to discuss the importance of vector art—the primary artwork format in the sign industry—how it contrasts with raster artwork, and why it matters for your signage.

Differences between Raster File Formats and Vector File Formats

What is Raster Art?

To contrast raster and vector logos, let us first define each one. Raster art is when an image is comprised of a series of squares or dots (pixels) that make up a larger picture. When small, this looks like a complete, smooth image; however, when blown up the individual squares become visible.

Therefore, raster art is resolution-dependent. A high-resolution image will look better, but even high-res files lose quality when expanded to large sizes for signs or banners.

Why is Raster Art Used?

Raster art still has value, just not often in signage. Raster art is the backbone of digital photos and makes up the majority of images you see online. So your logo on your website may very well be a raster file; however, that doesn’t mean that file immediately translates to a sign-ready artwork format.

What Types of Files Are Raster?

Common raster file types include:

  • JPG

  • PNG

  • GIF

  • TIFF

What is Vector Art?

Vector art is comprised of points, lines, and curves that are mathematically derived. Even the name itself—vector—reflects this.

What is the Benefit of Vector Art?

Because it’s built from math, vector artwork is infinitely scalable. You can expand it to 1000% or shrink it to fit a pen, and it will remain crisp, clean, and sharp. This is why vector logos are the industry standard for professional sign design.

Why is Vector Art Used?

Vector art is the preferred format for logos, fonts, and technical drawings. These elements must be adaptable to a wide variety of sizes and uses, making vector the ideal artwork format for signs.

What Types of Files Are Vector?

Common vector file types include:

  • AI

  • EPS

  • SVG

  • PDF (sometimes, if it was saved correctly)

Why is Vector Art Used Over Raster Art?

With vector, the same file can be used to print your logo on a business card, a banner, or a billboard—and it always looks professional. Raster images, when expanded to large sign sizes, will often look blurry, blocky, or “blown out.”

Why is Vector Art Especially Important in the Sign Industry?

Signs often require logos to be scaled to many feet wide. Raster images simply can’t hold their quality when enlarged to this degree.

Vector artwork ensures:

  • Sharp, professional-looking graphics at any size

  • Precision for cutting, engraving, or printing

  • Time and cost savings in production, since no rework is needed

What If You Don’t Have a Vector File?

Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Many clients only have raster versions of their logo, often pulled from a website, social media profile, or scanned business card. While these look fine online, they aren’t suitable as sign-ready files.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Check with your designer or printer – If a graphic designer originally created your logo, they likely have the vector files (AI, EPS, or SVG) saved.

  • Have your logo recreated (“vectorized”) – Our team can take your raster logo and professionally redraw it as a vector file. This ensures it will be ready for any sign project moving forward.

This is a common step in sign production, and we’re always happy to help clients make sure their branding is in the proper format for signage.

Conclusion

In short: Vector artwork means professional, sharp, scalable signs. Raster files may be fine for websites, but vector is essential when your branding needs to shine on a large format like a storefront, monument sign, or billboard.

Not sure what type of file you have? Send it to us, and we’ll check it for you!

Ready to bring your logo to life with a professional sign? Contact Ortwein Sign today and we’ll make sure your branding looks its very best, no matter the size!