The flexibility and scalability of vector graphics has been appreciated by web designers for a long time now; today no professional starts a new project without having a large stock of them on his hard-disk. In fact, one could go on to say that if it wasn’t for vector graphics then web designers would be less productive and, arguably, less creative.

Having a large and diverse stock of high quality vector graphics that work perfectly with Illustrator CS5 is essential when you want to design attractive websites. But even though there are many resources on the web that can help you, not all vector graphics available for free can be used for serious projects – many are just not professional enough. The secret is to search in the right place.

1. Bittbox

Bittbox is one of the vector graphic resources that any web designer should check. It’s a well-established destination for designers who look for EPS files and it’s especially great for vector patterns – almost all featured here being nothing less than fantastic.

2. Vectorportal

With hundreds of great vector graphics packs, Vectorportal is a comprehensive resource that you’ll appreciate whenever you’re after vectors that you can use freely, for any purpose whatsoever. One of the great things about Vectorportal is that it provides a brief description of each pack available for download and names the artist who created it. This can be helpful when you fall in love with the style of a particular pack and would like to learn more about the artist who created it and his/her other work.

3. Vectorart

If you’re after some high quality vectors for a new project then Vectorart is the resource you should check. You’ll find many free vectors here that look stunning and that cover a wide variety of themes. Vectorart also features a premium gallery where you can buy even better vectors, at decent prices.

4. Vectorjunky

Another top resource for vector graphics is Vectorjunky, a gallery that features vectors from artists from all over the world. Somewhat similar to Vectorportal, Vectorjunky lists the artist and provides information on the copyright rules. Bear in mind that while most of the vectors available here are free, some are unavailable for commercial use, so make sure you read the license before using them to design a website for a client.

5. deviantART

No list about top vectors can be complete without deviantART. Still, some may argue that deviantART is not that great when it comes to vectors as free resources. Sure there’s lots of brushes, effects, and even stock photos on it, but not very good vectors, they would say. That’s not true. You’ll find many awesome vectors here – the secret is to search in depth.

6. Zezu

Yet another resource worth checking is Zezu, which, though not as comprehensive as some of the websites listed above, features some arresting vectors mostly in the EPS format. The icons and textures available here are especially interesting.

7. 123freevectors

This list ends with 123freevectors, a free resource for Illustrator CS5 vectors that features more that one thousand items. You may not find all the vectors here fantastic, but there are definitely many which are worth downloading.

Tip: Remember that most of the vectors from the resources listed above are free for personal use. When it comes to commercial use, some restrictions may apply.

This article is written by Dhruv Kapoor from Offshore Ally. He is a part of the company’s motivated team of has been written by Dhruv Kapoor. Dhruv works for Offshore Ally- a company of competent virtual assistants, link builders and designers. Dhruv is tech buff and blogger. Connect with him via Twitter.