Source: https://mactoolbox.app/glossary/vector-vs-raster

# What is the difference between vector and raster?

By Nikhil Barik · Published November 3, 2026

## Quick answer

Raster images are made of pixels and get blurry when enlarged. Vector images are made of shapes described by math and stay sharp at any size.

## What each is

JPEG, PNG, HEIC and WebP are raster formats. SVG and many PDFs contain vector shapes and text. A PDF can hold both.

## Why it matters on a Mac

Logos and icons are best kept as vector so they scale cleanly. Photos are always raster. Enlarging a raster image cannot add detail.

## How to check it on macOS

Open the file in Preview and zoom in. Pixels appearing as squares mean raster. Edges that stay crisp mean vector.

## How Toolbox handles it

PDF to Images turns each PDF page into a PNG, JPEG or HEIC image, which is a raster copy. Resize Images changes the pixel size of raster images and can avoid enlarging smaller ones.

## Frequently asked questions

**Can I turn a raster image into vector?**

Tracing tools can approximate it, but results vary.

**Is PDF vector or raster?**

Either. A scanned PDF is raster, and one exported from a design app often has vector content.

**Why does my image look blurry when I enlarge it?**

It is raster and has a fixed number of pixels.

## Tools mentioned

- [**PDF to Images**: Save every page of a PDF as a PNG, JPEG or HEIC image.](https://mactoolbox.app/pdf-to-jpg-mac)
- [**Resize Images**: Scale photos by percentage, longest side or exact size.](https://mactoolbox.app/resize-images-mac)

## Keep reading

- [PDF to Images](https://mactoolbox.app/pdf-to-jpg-mac)
- [Resize Images](https://mactoolbox.app/resize-images-mac)
- [DPI and PPI](https://mactoolbox.app/glossary/dpi-ppi)