Vector vs raster: what is the difference?
A vector file describes lines, curves and shapes with mathematical paths, while a raster file is made of a grid of pixels. Vector scales to any size without losing quality, whereas raster turns blurry as it is enlarged. Sharp elements such as dielines and logos are therefore prepared as vector.
Vector describes a shape with commands such as “a curve from this point to that point”. When the size changes, the calculation is redone and the edges stay sharp. SVG, EPS and most PDF files can carry vector data. Raster, like JPG or PNG, is a picture made of pixels that each carry one color; when it is enlarged, the pixels become visible.
Photos are naturally raster and must have enough resolution for print. A low-resolution image looks blurry when enlarged, and fixing it afterwards is hard. Logos, icons and text should be vector so that they print sharply at any size.
For a dieline the rule is clear: cut and fold lines must be vector, because the die is built from these lines. Drawing a dieline as a pixel image does not speak the language of production and cannot be used by the printer.
In practice most packaging files carry both: vector structure and text, with photos placed inside them. Before delivery, check that text is converted to outlines or embedded and that the images have enough resolution.
How you do this in Grapxo
Grapxo is a packaging design engine that produces a dieline plus vector artwork from a brief; it produces the print face as vector (a logo that cannot be vectorised may stay raster). It delivers print-oriented vector in the language of panels and dielines.
For more, see How the Grapxo vector engine works.
Start producing in the studio
Write your brief and let Grapxo produce a print-ready vector surface.