All posts in best practices

For the uninitiated, the differences between typefaces and the vernacular with which they’re discussed can be confusing. Luckily, this series of Superhero Typographic Classifications by Matthew Olin is a fantastic intro to type. What the difference between a serif, a script and a slab? Why use one and not another? A specific typeface can often communicate more about a design than color and image, so get to know your type classifications with this handy superhero guide. Read more…

So, you’ve hired a designer to make your website, flyer, brochure or novelty dog bib (a surprising percentage of our business) and now they’re asking for a vector version of your logo. What in the heck does that mean? You already sent them the jpg, so what more could they possibly want?! Well, here’s an explanation:

VECTOR vs. RASTER

Every digital image falls into one of two categories: a vector image, and a raster image. A raster image is made up of tiny dots called pixels that from far away (or zoomed out) looks like something. Any digital photograph, for example, looks like the thing it’s a photo of, but if you zoom in as far as possible, it is just a series of colored squares – kind of like a mosaic, or a Seurat painting, or an extremely coordinated crowd at a football game.

Rasterized version of the Ask Jeeves Logo

While a raster image is made up of individual pixels, a vector image is made up of lines. Vector images are made up of mathematically defined geometric shapes: lines, filled areas, curves, etc. Read more…