What is a primary characteristic of vector graphics?

A primary characteristic of vector graphics is that they are scalable without loss of quality. This means that vector graphics, which are made up of paths defined by mathematical equations, can be resized to any dimension—larger or smaller—without introducing any pixelation or distortion. This scalability is crucial for usage in various applications, such as logos and illustrations, where maintaining visual clarity at different sizes is essential.

In contrast, pixel-based images, or raster graphics, consist of a fixed grid of pixels. When resized, they can lose quality and become blurry or pixelated. This scalability aspect makes vector graphics particularly useful in graphic design and web development, where flexibility and clarity are required.

Other options hint at characteristics that do not apply to vector graphics; for instance, they do not inherently require more storage than raster images. The file size of vector graphics can vary based on complexity, but they tend to be more efficient for simpler images compared to high-resolution raster images. Additionally, while vectors can often be smaller in file size for simple graphics, this is not a guaranteed characteristic, as the complexity can lead to larger sizes as well. Thus, the defining quality of vector graphics lies in their ability to be scaled without quality loss.