In order to speed up the branding process and help you understand our artwork requirements, we’ve put together a list of FAQ’s that will help guide you through the process.
What is Vector Artwork?
This is artwork that we can manipulate and separate into individual elements for branding. This artwork is also the highest quality and is in the original design format. Vector artwork is created using vector illustration software programmes such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. These programmes use points, lines and shapes to create artwork that can be scaled infinitely without any loss of quality. Vector artwork is editable and the artwork can be changed according to your specifications.
Which formats would be considered Vector? There are a few formats that will be acceptable, namely:
• Adobe Illustrator (.ai)
• Corel Draw (.cdr)
• Freehand (.fh)
• EPS
Please note: vector and non-vector artwork, or a combination of the two, can be stored in any of the above formats.
In order to check if artwork is vector, zoom into the image. If you see pixellated edges, as illustrated below, it means the artwork is non-vector (vector artwork will remain crisp and clear no matter how much you zoom into the image).
Alternatively, click on the artwork and if a blue block appears around it, as illustrated below right, it means that the artwork is non-vector and the elements cannot be separated.
Why is it that other suppliers accept non-vector and Gear Corporate insists on it?
Gear Corporate has a very high quality standard when it comes to branding. Artwork has a lot to do with the quality of branding. If the quality of the artwork is not acceptable we will not use it as it will compromise the quality of the branding. Certain branding methods can use very high quality jpeg images for branding, these methods include embroidery, digital processes and CMYK screen printing. However we cannot amend jpeg artwork at all, e.g. change the colour of a logo.
We do not use quick traced artwork as quick traces often result in uneven lines and this compromises the print quality, we would rather recommend a redraw of the logo.
What is quick traced artwork?
There is a tool in Corel Draw that allows you to automatically convert a non-vector logo into vector. This tool does not always work well, the reason is because it simply traces the edges of the artwork and where colours start and end. The result is a vector image but it will be broken and the edges will not be smooth. For this reason Gear Corporate does not use quick traced artwork because it compromises the quality of the branding. Original artwork Quick traced artwork