Photo, vector or 3D: choosing a format

Different jobs call for different kinds of image. A quick guide:

Photographs

Best for real places, people, products and food, where texture and light matter. They scale up poorly, so check the resolution before you commit to a large print.

Vectors and illustrations

Shapes and lines are stored as geometry, so they stay sharp at any size. Good for icons, patterns, maps and interface art, and for anything that must be recoloured.

3D renders

Handy for product mock-ups and abstract scenes where you control light and camera. Renders give clean shadows and perfect surfaces, at the cost of a slightly synthetic look.

Rule of thumb

If the image will be printed large or recoloured, prefer vectors. If it has to feel real, prefer photographs. If it has to be perfect and cannot be photographed, render it.

In this preview every file is a raster WebP, including the works in the vector and illustration sections.