Vectors - Confusing

[steveeyes]

I did some googling and reading but still have questions about Vector Images. My questions are below.

1.  Based on what I have seen, JPG images are much nicer looking than vector images. You can upscale JPG images, so why use vector?

2. Can you convert any JPG image to vector? If i converted a portrait jpg image that looked like a photo  to vector, it will look radically different, right? So what are the best vector type of images? I would say stay away from converting photo portraits to vector.

3. Despite my doubts, vector images seem super popular. As a Generative AI creator, are we authorized to upload vector images if desired? I don't see any reason on adobe why we can't.

4. I searched adobe and can't find any limitations or rules pertaining to vector. If there is something I

should know, please let me know.

5. Are there any generative AI creators reading this that uploads vector images. If so, any insight?

As always...thanks for your time

[George_F]

Generative AI aside, it's actually the other way around for upscaling.  While both vectors and raster images can be upscaled, vectors can be upscaled without any loss of quality to virtually any size.  Raster images have a number of downsides with upscaling, it tends to introduce artifacts and noise, and cause aliasing along sharp edges.  The general quality of raster images tends to degrade with moderate to heavy upscaling in my opinion.

Vectors and raster images (or jpegs if you prefer) have some overlap, but they tend to be used for different purposes.  So I wouldn't worry too much about choosing which format is best as usually the style of your illustration will dictate the format used.

You are right, simply converting a photo to a vector usually doesn't work so well in my opinion.  It's just a different style of illustration to me.  I've always thought that designing a tattoo was a lot like working with a vector program, with the way details are layered and colors are shaded.  If you get an eye for it, it's actually fairly easy to spot a vector illustration vs raster even when it's printed.

Yes, AI generated vectors are accepted and you can read more about that on the Generative AI faq.

[steveeyes]

Wow...great info. Thanks George. I went to the link you provided. One thing I'm not sure of  and couldn't  find was concerning the uploading requirements.  When I create and save a raster image  using Midjourney, it is saved at 1200×1200. Pixels.  To upload to adobe, I  have to upscale it to 3 or 4x for adobe to accept it. What about Vector images. If I save a Midjourney raster image to 1200x1200, do I have to upscale it to a certain size before converting the JPG to vector?

[George_F · Accepted solution]

You can find the Vector Submission Guidelines for Adobe Stock in the Adobe Stock Contributor User Guide.

[Abambo]

Generative AI aside

By @George_F

Generative AI creates low resolution assets that will need to be upscaled for being usable. The problems with upscaling are, however, the same. You can easily, by using the same tools upscale your photos too.

[Janos Thanatos]

You can tell the difference even when printed? Damn, George, I'm impressed. I wouldn't have imagined it possible. You must have a well-trained eye. 

[Abambo]

You see the difference in print of an image that should be vector and the vector print, if it has been rasterized during the creation phase. You do not have to have a good eye for that. But there are more parameters that influence the quality of the final print.

[George_F]

Perhaps I should have been more clear.  What I meant is that after a while it becomes fairly easy to spot designs that are typically done in vector programs vs pixel editors.  Obviously with a print one can't be sure 100%, but to me there are distinct clues in designs that are just easier to accomplish with vectors.  I don't want to give myself too much credit here, haha. 

[Abambo]

Mostly, people using pixel graphics for print where vector graphics are mandated (from the subject), you will see the difference, as there will be also different other "errors" in that document. 

Mostly, those people are using Word for typesetting, and yo will see typical word issues too. 

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

• Vectors are submitted as Adobe Illustrator .ai, .svg or .eps files.
• Vector graphics are math-based rather than pixel based. 
• Vectors are resolution independent which means they can be rescalled up or down to any size that's required without quality loss. 
• Raster images become pixelated when upscaled.
• Vectors are preferred for flat colored logos, line drawings, text, comics, cartoons, textiles and merchandise because the lines remain sharp and consistently crisp at all times.  See screenshot.

You cannot convert a photograph to vector art unless you retrace paths as a line drawing first using a vector graphics app like Illustrator. The two image types will not look the same.

[daniellei4510]

In the right hands and with enough experience, photorealistic vector images are possible. Google 'photo realistic vectors' to see some pretty amazing results.

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

Photorealistic illustrations require advanced art skills & many hours of tedious hand drawing, painting and shading. 

That's not for beginners.

[daniellei4510]

That's for sure. During down time at work years ago, I would practice with a photo of an apple. The result wasn't bad but it took a few hours, even with such a simple subject. 

[Abambo]

I did some googling and reading but still have questions about Vector Images. My questions are below.

1.  Based on what I have seen, JPG images are much nicer looking than vector images. You can upscale JPG images, so why use vector?

You can't upscale vectors. What you do is adding additional points based on the neighboring points. That does not create new information. Even if some upscalers currently work well, they all have limits of the multiplier. A vector asset can be scaled up and down by a factor thousand and it will look the same.

2. Can you convert any JPG image to vector? If i converted a portrait jpg image that looked like a photo  to vector, it will look radically different, right? So what are the best vector type of images? I would say stay away from converting photo portraits to vector.

Vector programs will try to find where the curves should go. That works, but on a random image, it will generate poor results.

3. Despite my doubts, vector images seem super popular. As a Generative AI creator, are we authorized to upload vector images if desired? I don't see any reason on adobe why we can't.

It's now allowed.

4. I searched adobe and can't find any limitations or rules pertaining to vector. If there is something I

should know, please let me know.

There are specific rules for vector images (at Adobe stock). You need to check them out before contributing.

5. Are there any generative AI creators reading this that uploads vector images. If so, any insight?

As always...thanks for your time

By @steveeyes

My conclusion is that you do not know a lot about computer graphics in general. You should google for good books on that theme. 

[steveeyes]

I've learned a lot (thanks to you guys) about vector images in the past 24 hours. There are still things that confuse me, so I have to keep plugging away. I'll break this down into two parts, (1) WHAT I LEARN and (2) WHAT I STILL NEED TO LEARN

WHAT I LEARN - MY WORK FLOW

I used MidJourney to create my raster images. The Midjourney prompt needs to be worded for vector-type images. I highly recommend including in your prompt words like "vector logo, vector art, emblem, simple, cartoon" At the end of the prompt, I recommend putting "Isolated on white background"

2. If you want to remove the background of the image, adding "isolated on white background" makes it easier.

3. After creating the images in Midjourney (1024x1024), I upscaled them by 4x (4096x4096). The maximum size can only be 45MB

4. After I upscaled, I converted each image to SVG and AI. I wanted to compare each image format, SVG and AI, but I realized I had no way to do so.

WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND OR STILL NEED TO LEARN

I removed the backgrounds from the raster images after upscaling. What I don't know is after I converted the PNG (with background removed) to Vector (SVG and AI), if the vector image's background was transparent or not. I don't have Illustrator (may have at work).

2. I converted each raster image to AI and SVG. I searched Adobe to see if loading the same image with different extensions was legal or would it be considered spam.

3. In some cases, the raster image had openings in the image, allowing areas of the image I didn't want to be removed to be removed when removing the background. For example, when removing the background of a girl, it also removed her facial features. This happens because the image was not completely closed in certain areas, allowing the background remover to have access to that area. I need to figure out how to prevent this from happening. Logically, it seems I'd have to find a way to close off the opening that is allowing the background remover access to that area.

Lastly. I'm attaching some vector files (AI and SVG). I'm hoping if someone can verify if these vector images have transparent backgrounds or not. To know if I did it correctly or not will help me in my effort to progress in my learning. There may be another way to view the vector images without Illustrator, but I'm not aware of what that would be.

Thanks

[Abambo]

Still learning:

1. Transparent backgrounds should work too, even probably better.

2. It is spam to sumbmit the same asset under different formats.

3. That's manual work.

[steveeyes]

Did the vector images I attached have transparent backgrounds:

Thanks

[daniellei4510 · Accepted solution]

Some wouldn't open in Photoshop (parsing issues). When opened in Illustrator, at least one had a black background that I could remove, but it left you fox rocket image looking weird, since the shadowing was deleted as well. Another had a white background that I couldn't remove.

I guess I'm stumped (especially since you don't have Illustrator) why you seem intent on converting .jpgs or .pngs to vectors. While upscaling two, three, four times or more can produce issues, most are fixable if you have photo editing experience. Isolating the background to remove it and make it transparent can be time consuming, but probably not as time consuming as turning bitmapped images into usable vectors.

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

If you don't have a subscription to Illustrator yet, use Inkscape freeware for vector graphics work.

Converting pixel-based images to math-based vectors rarely works well unless the original image is very simple and straightforward to work with.   Remove all unnecessary chaff beforehand: objects that don't make sense, artifacts, unclosed lines that go nowhere, random shapes, etc...   See this brief "how to video tutorial" from YouTube (15 min).

Hope that helps.

[steveeyes]

So many thanks. This all started when I read an adobe article about vector images.  But it ended with my gratitude for so many people willing to help. I learned a lot and where I go from here may seem a bit mysterious, but I'm better prepared than when I started this journey. And who knows, it may help someone else checking out the vector world. Thanks guys for all your help.

[Abambo]

You're welcome.