With this understanding we can conclude that there are certain times when it'd be better to use vector apps like Illustrator or Affinity Designer compared to pixel apps like Procreate. That’s why it’s critical to understand the resolution of your canvas when using any raster or pixel-based software tool (like Procreate).

When you try to scale pixel artwork past a certain point, images become blurry and soft around the edges as your software tries to spread the same number of bits across a larger surface area. While this does give rasters some distinct advantage in terms of shading and color variety, it also limits scalability. They don’t rely on mathematical equations instead, the quality is determined by the number of bits per pixel. Raster graphics rely on collections of dots or pixels to store all of your graphics information. The downside here is that vector-based graphics often lack the creative (bitmap-based) brushes and coloring options that you see in raster-based apps. This means that vector-based artwork is infinitely scalable with no loss of quality, regardless of size or shape. Vector graphics and art are produced using a series of mathematical equations that tell your program the precise location of the points on your document to create curves and shapes.

This is the heart of the debate between these two apps and, depending on your creative needs, everything may come down to one fact: Adobe Illustrator for iPad allows you to create vector-based illustrations while Procreate is used for pixel-based content.īut what does that even mean, and why does it matter? Depending on the type of work you'd like to produce and its application, some apps make more sense to use than others. One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is what tools to use.

Many decisions go into the creative process.

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