What Is Art Vectorization?

When displaying banners to promote your brand, you don’t want a shoddy, pixelated image.

You need an eye-catching banner with vivid details and rich colors, something we make possible through art vectorization.

Explore what art vectorization is all about, our vectorization process, and the use of AI for generating print-ready artwork with our extensive guide.

What Is Art Vectorization?

Art vectorization is the process of enhancing image quality by converting lower-resolution images made up of pixels into high-quality scalable vector formats without losing detail and clarity.

Pixel-based raster files, such as JPEGs and PNGs, have a fixed pixel number, so resizing them can lead to blurry or distorted images. We solve this issue by vectorizing an image.

Vector graphics offer greater flexibility than raster files. They are computer-made images consisting of lines, shapes, and points created using mathematical formulas, not pixels. This means it’s easy to manipulate elements like shapes and colors to create crisp, clean images for banners of any size.

Art vectorization is an excellent way to bring your art to print resolution. With infinitely scalable vector art, we can easily resize your designs, no matter how big we make them.

At NorthCoast Banners, we provide seamless art vectorization and graphic enhancement of low-quality artwork before we print, and then send you a proof to confirm you’re happy with the improvements to your design.

Can You Vectorize a Logo?

Yes, we can vectorize logos consisting of shapes and texts. We can redraw simple logos into a vector image, recreated as the outlines. 

However, not every image can be vectorized. Images that are too small or pixelated are generally hard to redraw. Photographic images are also too complex to convert into vector graphics. In these cases, vectorization by hand will take too long and cost too much. 

We can replicate the art, but the process will be quite expensive. You already paid the original artist; you don’t want to spend again to recreate the art so it will be print-ready.

What Tools Can You Use for a Logo That Cannot Be Vectorized?

At NorthCoast, we apply creative solutions to ensure your designs are crisp and stunning before printing. We use two primary tools to enhance images that we can’t vectorize:

• Fractalization: We use a photo enhancer software that mathematically processes images to upscale them without losing quality. Fractalization involves converting an image into a grid of pixels, creating polygons, and averaging pixel colors in each polygon to simplify color representation. With fractals, the image becomes more detailed and accurate. We manipulate the fractalized image so it’s ready for printing.
• AI: AI can identify different types of photos and find or create similar images at an optimal printing resolution. This alternative approach usually works best for photographs. For complex digital paintings and artworks, fractalization is the ideal option.

We will use both techniques to discover the best image enhancement solution for a particular art file. When dealing with complex artworks, we typically combine these techniques and apply vectorization to some parts of the design for a visually interesting and accurate result.

For example, if it’s a logo in front of an intricate background with both elements in separate files or layers, we will likely vectorize the logo and fractalize the background to create the right balance of sharpness and detail. The cost depends on the complexity of your art and the necessary process to make it print-ready. 

Can You Vectorize Images Using AI?

AI is not a tool for vectorizing images. Instead, we use it to generate high-resolution artwork ideal for printing. We’re exploring the use of generative AI in photoshop for images that cannot be vectorized. With generative AI, we can add details to parts of the image even if the whole image isn’t AI-generated.

AI models are evolving nonstop. AI algorithms leverage deep learning techniques. The more images they see, the better they become at identifying various patterns and characteristics in photos and artworks. This means they can better determine the best approach to enhance images.

Three years ago, you would get bizarre traits, like misshapen fingers and an extra nose, if you enhanced an image with AI. Today, AI models can intelligently analyze images and generate high-resolution results, transforming a blurry photo into a clearer one, thanks to extensive training on vast image datasets.

What Do I Need to Vectorize My Logo?

If you have a simple logo, the file type doesn’t matter as we can vectorize from diverse file types. All we need is a clear, unpixelated copy of your logo. Make sure it’s large enough, so the artist can use it to hand-draw the details.

For a more complex image, send separate files for the logo and background image. They must be on different layers if they’re in the same file.

You should send the file to the artist working on the vectorization if you have a PSD (Photoshop Document) file from the artist who made the logo. If you want us to vectorize your artwork, send us your file and we’ll give you a quote.

How Long Does It Take To Vectorize Artwork?

The time it takes to vectorize an artwork depends on its complexity, typically between 20 minutes to several hours. We typically vectorize logos and sends back a proof to the customers in two business days, for most jobs.

Do You Need Art Vectorization For Printing Or Can I Skip This Step?

It’s incredibly risky to print a pixelated image – it’s not going to be worth it to try to save money and skip this service. And remember, slight pixelation on a screen will often look worse on a physical print, which doesn’t have the bright backlight that your screen has to make the other elements stand out.

With a professionally vectorized artwork, you’ll end up with high-resolution, print-quality proofs no matter the banner size. We will provide a file that will always look amazing, even if you use it repeatedly for banners, digital marketing, or other print projects. Send over your file today to see how we can help vectorize your images for print.

Thanks to Brian Saetre of LizardFish Graphics for their assistance in researching and creating this article. Check out their excellent vectorization services here.