Stock vectors are a really fast and easy way to create designs of both high resolution and quality. Even more than that, they are very easy to edit and tweak in order to create unique looking designs. In this article I will take a vector from designious.com and try to show you a few ways you can use them effectively in your work.

Experiment with different styles using the same vector

Most of them have only solid colors and no gradients, making them very easy to recolor just by simply clicking the color and adjusting it to whatever color you want. Being able to do so, will allow you to obtain different results in different styles. Cartoon, vintage, futuristic, glossy, grungy are just a few examples of how you can tweak a stock vector only by changing colors and adding a small spotlight.
This cool wing is a part of Wings Vector Pack 16 from designious.com.  With just a few clicks, you can turn it into what you already get in your average vector packs.

Why do we create it like this? Easy! We want to create as much room for creativity as possible, so we provide a fully editable stock. We want YOU to be creative, we just provide the necessary resources for it.

Here are a few more styles you can apply to your stock vectors.

Use them as they are

Vector packs come with an already colored version, they are pretty good looking and ready to be used as they are. They are also drawn in the same style, line thickness and smoothness, so you can easily use multiple elements in the same illustration.

Use as outlines

Feel like practicing your painting skills in Photoshop? Simply remove the colors, leave only the outline and click-drag the drawing into your Photoshop document and you can start painting immediately. You can also use some artistic effects to make it look like a pencil drawing or as paint strokes.

Add your personal touch: Enhance them with extra lights and shadows

Stock vectors come with basic lights and shadows, making them ideal for t-shirt designs. You can use this to your advantage, since there is already a lighting base to which you can add your own personal touch. The small details you add will always make a difference!

Use them in T-shirt designs

This domain is very sensitive when it comes to the actual design, since it requires a limited number of colors, special color books especially created for print design, a color separation and some other tweaks that I will discuss in a future and more elaborate article. Stock vectors are really easy to prepare for print, since you can easily change the color book with just a few clicks and easily identify and replace or remove any extra colors.

T-shirt design 303 – Cross and wings

Shield with skulls vector t-shirt design

Vector tee graphics with skulls

Tee graphics vector with skull

Apparel design vector with eye ball

Turn them into cool silhouettes

Want a quick silhouette? Chance all the colors into a single one, merge them together and you have a perfectly good-looking silhouette you can use in your work.

Create high quality Photoshop brushes

Need to quickly add a shape in your Photoshop design? Then use these vector to create your own brushes for an easy access. Your vector set will be just a click away in an organized library, without scouring for hours through your huge stocks folder.

Combine with stock photos for awesome results

Mixed media has become very popular in graphic design and using vectors along with pictures is no exception. Banners with jumping people, surrounded by vector shapes, vector flowers and rays can be found almost on every website or supermarket. You can also use this technique to spice up your own family photos or portraits!

Create incredible compositions

This point is probably the most exploited in the design industry, since it spares you the effort or creating tiny, tiresome details on each element and enables you to use your creativity to a maximum. Vectorious.net is a very good example of what you can do with just a few vectors.

Here are a few examples of illustrations created only with stock vectors.

Vector vintage floral background with roses

Rust vector vintage grunge floral frame

Vintage floral background with hibiscus vector background

Vector background – vintage t-shirt design with skulls

How do YOU use your stock vectors?