The New Wave of Retina Graphics

Heads up, if you’re thinking of upgrading your website! Retina graphics are the next wave of website vector graphic elements. Scalable vector graphics (or SVGs) provide a retina-friendly, mobile-friendly format with remarkably clearer screen graphics and high-pixel density.

The only devices that currently support Retina graphics are the iPhone 4+, MacBook Retina, and iPad 3, but Retina graphics will be essential soon enough… and you want your web design to look good for awhile, right?

Currently, the main Retina challenge for website designers is finding an easy system to create SVGs. Web design tools will eventually catch up with the Retina wave, but for now, only select programs work natively with SVGs. Designers are currently forced to combine a series of tools to create responsive Retina-ready SVGs. For instance, a Fireworks icon that is saved as a PNG retains the necessary vector data if it is opened in Illustrator first, the vectors are selected, and then copied into Fireworks. It’s not very streamlined, but it works. Fireworks cannot natively save SVGs, so further hoops are also required to complete the process.

CMA’s Seattle website design team suggests this article by John Dyer as a helpful guide for creating a responsive, Retina-ready web design.

Or… you could allow CMA web design services upgrade your website or design a new Retina-ready, mobile-ready site that puts your best foot forward today and for the future.