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JRN 440
Adv. Online Journalism
Vector file formats for print
and projected
Wednesday, 2/22/12
Class Objectives
 Neat Trick
 Lecture

Vector File Formats for Print and Projected

Why we care to learn about vector,
http://actualobjects.com/collections/economic-bailoutinformation-graphics
 Homework
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Ex. 4 and 5 due by 2:05 pm 2/29/12
Vector Graphics
 Definition= The creation of digital images through a
sequence of commands or mathematical
statements that place lines and shapes in a twodimensional or three-dimensional space.
 Made up of individual objects
 These objects are defined by
mathematical equations not
pixels (“smart”)
 Each object has individual
properties assigned to it such as
color, fill, and stroke.
Vector Graphics
 Resolution Independent

What does this do? Vector
images always render at the
highest quality... Whether
stamped sized or billboard
sized
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Crispness of lines and shapes
no matter what size
No “jagged” edges when you
enlarge
Vector Graphics Characteristics
 Good for drawing shapes, lines,
polygons, texts

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Reduces detail of photographs
BUT, images are cartoon-like
 Easier to manipulate as objects remain
as individuals (not flattened into a
painting)
 Resolution independent

Can scale to any size
 Final vector file can be any shape
 Not restricted to rectangular format
 Usually smaller file size than raster
Questions
 Remember “dumb” or “smart” files of each
 1. Can I easily convert my raster file to a vector file?
 Not easily
 Can use live trace in Illustrator, but not really good
results
 Most will “trace” using the Pen Tool
 2. Can I easily convert my vector file to a raster file?
 Yes, <File <Export
2d Vector File Formats
 Native: .ai (Illustrator), .fla (Flash)
 Most commonly used for printing: EPS
Can contain raster images “wrapped” within them
 Next best thing is to use a PDF
 As of 2009, an open standard for printable documents on the
Web (free to use)
 Can contain vector images within them (e.g. text and paths)
as well as raster elements
 But it’s best to know how these files were originally created
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If originally raster, they’ll remain raster
If originally vector, they’ll remain vector but you might lose text
paths
If hybrid, when imported/opened in a software, will have both
2d Vector File Formats
 “De-facto” printing standard for CAD files:
.dxf/dwg, (owned by Autocad)

Other files that are used are .iges, .step
 Web standard: .svg (static and for animation)


May need a Plug-in to see (depends on
browser)
Written in XML
 “De-facto” web standard: .swf

The Flash plug-in is on almost all browsers
3d Vector File Formats
 Native: .3dm (Rhino), .3ds (3d Studio Max), .DWG
(AutoCAD), (Maya, Sketchup, ProE, AutoCad)
 For 3d models:
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From Autocad alone:
 DXF (drawing exchange format) between software
 DWF (design web format) for Web
.u3d (supported by Adobe, works in Photoshop)
 For previewing on web pages: .x3d and .vrml
(standards)

Need a plug-in to see these
Which file format to use?
 If moving from one vector software to another
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eps or pdf
dwg
3ds
 If printing, pdf and eps are safe bets
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But ask your printer what they want
 If on-line and have plug-ins installed,
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swf for 2d
x3d for 3d
File Management:
Moving your design project and files
 Why would you move your project and files?
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If you are going to have it professionally
printed
If you’re going to another computer
If you’re handing it off to someone else and
they need to open the project
File Management:
Moving graphic files
 In many cases, you will need to transform
your file into a non-native format
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Native is .MAX, .FH, .PSD
Non-native is EPS, PDF, TIFF, JPG, GIF,
PNG, SVG, DXF, DWG
Remember!!! Always save a native version of
your design.
File Management:
Moving your design project and files
 If you will be moving your project, you need to
move ALL files associated with it

Image and data files
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All vector (2d, 3d)
All raster (skins, rendered files)
Design (html, page-layout files like qxd)
Misc. files (“readme”, pre-flight checklist, fonts)
Converting/ moving graphic files
 Also called “porting”

Porting = Translating software to run on a
different computer and/or operating system
 Difference between <File <Open and <File
<Import or <Place

Think about how InDesign does this

Place is simply linking (not porting) files
 You’ll need to include them when you move the job
Porting
 1st Need to consider how is data stored or created?
 Raster vs. vector (metafiles)
 2d vector vs. 3d vector
 2nd What software are you using to port into?
 Illustration program = Illustrator
 Image Editor = Photoshop
 Some software packages can handle porting of native
formats
 Adobe suite products – Photoshop can port (by simply
opening) Illustrator’s native format
Porting Raster files
 What do you have to worry about with moving
raster files?
 RESOLUTION BASED!!!
 A raster file on a web page is ~72 dpi, for print it
should be 600 dpi for b/w, 300 for grayscale and
color
 Do NOT trust your monitor when it displays your
raster file
 NEVER “scale” up raster in Illustrator or InDesign
to more than 200% and try to print it out.
 Do scaling in PhotoShop (and upsampling
is still not a good idea here)
Porting vector files
 1st, what is your original vector file
 3d
 2d
 What software used, version of software
 2nd, where are you moving it to?
 3d
 2d
 What software to open/import
 Where is the final “viewing” place?
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Web or monitors (loss of control over certain
things… think colors on monitors)
Print (non-3d quality)
Porting vector files
 What do you have to worry about?
 Almost everything… regardless of where
moving to (3d to raster, 3d to 2d, 3d to 3d,
etc.)
 Biggest problem = some software will import or
open certain files, some will not
 Check ALL that you have access to!

Color shifting
 Especially if your final output is print!

Losing details of your original design
 Strokes (too little, too big, lost altogether)
 Rendering (skinning, lights, colors)
Porting vector files
 Losing details
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Shapes not coming through
 Getting distorted
 Disappearing altogether
 Shifting in terms of x,y,z planes (which are
important on maps, cad drawings)
Fonts
 Certain letters missing
 Not coming up as letters at all
“Extra” features of software
 Transparency in Illustrator
 Layers
Porting vector files
 What do you NOT have to worry about?
 Resolution (yeah!)… vector files are resolution
independent.
 Again? Why is it so difficult to move vector versus
raster?
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Raster files are just pixels
Vector files have tons on info. in them