I have a large vector image I've drawn in adobe illustrator that at some point needs to be printed on a separate machine without access to illustrator. If I shrink the image to decrease file size for upload then export the image as a PDF can it be scaled at the receiving end again via printer settings and still maintain quality if enlarged?
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1Shrinking a purely vector image will not reduce the file size.– Billy KerrAug 1, 2017 at 14:59
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Fair enough but whatabout the print quality?– TommyBsAug 1, 2017 at 15:02
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1Vectors are infinitely rescalable - they have no pixels.– Billy KerrAug 1, 2017 at 15:03
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Perhaps time to go find out what the difference between raster and vector is. This website should help: psprint.com/resources/difference-between-raster-vector - I have no affiliation with this website/company.– Billy KerrAug 1, 2017 at 15:05
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In fact, there's already a good question with answers here on GD.SE graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/260/…– Billy KerrAug 1, 2017 at 15:07
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2 Answers
Illustrator exports vectors inside a PDF as vector, unless you rasterized them first. Vector files are infinitely rescalable, either in print, or when viewing on screen with suitable image viewing software.
Shrinking a vector image's physical size will not reduce the file size of the image.
If there was a printer big enough, you could print a vector image the size of the Empire State Building, and it would still look tack sharp. Vectors do not contain pixels, therefore there is no degradation when making them larger.
answered Aug 1, 2017 at 15:20
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HOWEVER! dont forget, things such as Stroke and effects like Drop Shadows are affected by scaling, as they don't scale with the vector. Aug 1, 2017 at 15:48
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Good way to check: open the pdf in acrobat, preview or whatever and keep zooming in. Are the lines still sharp? Then you're probably good to go. Aug 1, 2017 at 16:41
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@DigitalLightcraft I'm talking about plain common old vectors, not raster effects applied to a vector. Yes you are right however, that these could be a problem. Aug 1, 2017 at 16:49
Yes.
A vector AI file saved to PDF is pretty much the same. Everything remains in vector shapes, which means you can scale it up or down without losing any quality.
Resolution and image quality is only a concern if working with raster formats (PSD, TIF, JPG, PNG, etc).
