All articles · 2026-09-09

Vectorizing vs AI upscaling: which one do you actually need?

Two different tools for two different problems. When an upscaler is right, when a vectorizer is right, and why the vector route is often both smaller and sharper.

An AI upscaler invents plausible pixels to make a bigger bitmap. A vectorizer replaces pixels with geometry. For photographs, upscaling wins. For logos, icons, text and flat illustration, vectorizing wins — the result is infinitely scalable, tiny in file size and editable.

The best of both

Vectorize first, then render the vector to PNG at any size you like. An 8192-pixel PNG rendered from a vectorized 96-pixel logo has perfectly smooth edges because every pixel is drawn from curves. Curvora's PNG export does exactly that.