Raster and vector graphics solve different website design problems. Raster images describe a picture with pixels and suit photographs or detailed textures. Vector graphics describe shapes and paths and suit many logos, icons and simple illustrations.
Choose the format according to what the image communicates, the sizes it must appear at and the way it will be delivered. A website usually needs both rather than one format for every asset.
Use raster images for real visual detail
Product photographs, rooms, completed installations and people contain subtle texture and colour. Raster formats preserve that detail. JPEG, PNG, WebP and AVIF are examples, with different compression and transparency capabilities.
A kitchen showroom might use raster photography to show a cabinet finish or an installed room. A clothing retailer needs enough detail to show fabric and fit. These images should be exported at sizes appropriate for the page rather than uploading the largest available original everywhere.
If an image is enlarged far beyond its useful resolution, the result can look soft or show visible pixels. Increasing the file's dimensions afterwards does not recreate detail absent from the original. Keep a good-quality source and produce website exports from it.
Use vector graphics for clear shapes
A logo made from paths can be resized without the pixelation associated with enlarging a bitmap. SVG is a commonly used web format for vector content. It can be useful for navigation icons, simple diagrams and brand marks that appear at different sizes.
Not every SVG is purely vector artwork: a file can include an embedded bitmap. Ask for the appropriate original artwork rather than assuming the filename proves the logo is scalable. A photograph saved inside an SVG remains a photograph with a finite resolution.
Keep shapes simple enough to remain understandable at their smallest size. A detailed illustration that looks excellent on a large monitor may lose meaning as a small interface icon.
Match the asset to its job
For a service-page photograph, prioritise useful subject matter, honest representation and a crop that works on a phone. For a logo, prioritise crisp edges and a version that remains readable against the chosen background. For a product image, prioritise the details the customer needs to compare.
The Nolixia portfolio: https://nolixia.com/portfolio includes design concepts showing different uses of product imagery and interface graphics. These are examples of visual presentation; they are not evidence that one image format alone improves sales.
Control dimensions and file weight
A small image can still be unsuitable if compression removes important detail. A large image can still be unnecessary if the page displays it in a small card. Review both appearance and download size at the intended display dimensions.
Where the site supports it, serve responsive image variants for different screen sizes. Reserve layout space so the content does not jump when the image arrives. Use the page speed guide: https://nolixia.com/blog/what-is-page-speed-and-how-can-you-improve-it to review how media affects loading and layout.
Keep accessibility separate from file format
The choice between WebP and SVG does not decide whether an image has a useful text alternative. Describe the relevant information in meaningful content images, and avoid turning essential service instructions into text that exists only inside a picture.
Decorative images need different treatment from images communicating product details or a process. See our accessibility introduction: https://nolixia.com/blog/how-website-accessibility-improves-everyday-use for related content decisions.
Keep source files and exports organised
Maintain the original photograph or artwork separately from compressed website exports. Use understandable filenames and record where each asset is used. If staff replace a cover image, they should know the intended crop and whether a mobile variant is needed.
For a business website brief, include a simple asset list: photographs, logo, icons, required sizes and who supplies each item. This helps a Birmingham web designer: https://nolixia.com/web-design-birmingham plan the layout without discovering missing artwork just before launch.
For the underlying format capabilities, consult the MDN image format guide: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Guides/Formats/Image_types.
