Raster vs vector? Photoshop vs illustrator? Photoshop vs Procreate? What’s the distinction between all of them? Is one higher suited to floor design than the others?
Possibly you’ve struggled to be taught one or each packages since you had been informed you needed to. Or perhaps you had been informed the parable that it’s a must to use Adobe Illustrator to be a profitable floor designer – I devoted a complete video on Instagram about why that isn’t true, btw.
Whether or not you’re model new to floor design or not, these are issues you could have struggled with sooner or later. However is any of it even true – is one really higher than the opposite? What even IS raster and vector artwork??? And why does it matter?
Nicely, I hope at the moment’s submit will convey some readability to that age-old dilemma.
Let’s begin with just a few definitions…
What’s the distinction between raster vs vector?
Raster artwork is pixel-based the place a picture is made up of an association of pixels or dots. When you scale up a raster picture massive sufficient, it’s going to turn out to be “pixelated” and lose high quality.
That’s why it’s so vital to create high-resolution artwork at a minimal of 300 dpi. Adobe Photoshop is essentially the most generally used raster-based design program, however Procreate has gained important recognition amongst floor designers over the previous few years for its ease of use.
Vector artwork, alternatively, is predicated on mathematical formulation – photographs are created utilizing factors and contours & curves in-between the factors. Due to that, you may scale vector graphics to any dimension with out seeing any pixelation or lack of high quality. Adobe Illustrator is the gold normal of vector-based design packages, utilized by most firms. Nonetheless, Affinity Designer is one other vector program utilized by some floor designers.
So when evaluating Photoshop vs Illustrator, is one superior to the opposite for floor design?
No, I firmly imagine one program isn’t inherently higher than the opposite as every has strengths and weaknesses. As a substitute, the extra vital query to ask is: Which program is healthier for YOU to design with?
Adobe Photoshop & Procreate
Each Photoshop and Procreate’s power is the flexibility to show texture and effective particulars in a means that vector packages can’t replicate. It’s why those that desire to design away from their computer systems love to make use of Procreate. Or why most floor designers who use watercolor, gouache, acrylic, or another analog-based medium save their designs in Photoshop.
A greeting card design from my portfolio made utilizing Adobe Photoshop & Procreate
When you’ve ever tried recreating a watercolor design in Illustrator utilizing the road hint characteristic, you’ve in all probability observed how slowly your pc runs and the way much less profitable the watercolor mixing appears.
Photoshop and Procreate are greatest for floor designers who like texture and delicate colour adjustments of their work.
Simply ensure you save or scan all the pieces you design at a excessive decision (ideally a minimum of 600 dpi). And if you happen to’re utilizing Procreate, use as many layers as potential to make colour adjustments/changes that a lot simpler to make.
Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator’s power is Photoshop’s greatest weak spot – the flexibility to scale something with out shedding high quality. So you can design a tiny 1-inch flower and it might look simply as crisp if a firm licensed it from you and scaled it to twenty ft for a billboard.
A floral mini assortment from my portfolio created utilizing Adobe Illustrator
Designers love Illustrator for the way clear and crisp photographs are, particularly when utilizing the pen software. Corporations love Illustrator too as a result of it’s usually simpler and faster to make adjustments to an AI file than a PS file (so long as you hand them a clear and well-built file).
There’s additionally some printing processes that require AI information be used, so if you happen to create utilizing Illustrator, you could discover it a bit simpler at hand over ultimate information to your shoppers.
Illustrator is greatest for designers preferring a clear look, wish to scale their designs to any dimension, or work with firms that print utilizing AI-based printing processes.
Associated Article: 10 Frequent Floor Sample Design Phrases Defined
However I do know what a few of you may be pondering…
How do I do know which file kind an organization accepts or prefers?
That’s why it’s vital to ask if they’ve any file-type necessities when emailing artwork administrators. Many occasions firms are versatile and might take each Photoshop and Illustrator information, however typically they might solely be capable of settle for one or the opposite. So if you happen to ask close to the beginning of your dialog, you gained’t waste any of your time (or theirs) with artwork you may’t license with them.
In the long run although, what issues most is that you just create art work utilizing the strategies (and packages) that work greatest for YOU, not what another person informed you to make use of. And meaning you can even use each in order for you, btw – I do!
As a result of if you hearken to your self and give attention to the way you prefer to design, your artwork will at all times be higher for it.
