Computer graphics fall into two main types: vector graphics and bitmap images. We'll make a quick comparison of the two to help you understand which is more appropriate for your artwork. It boils down to the kind of artwork you're preparing and what you intend to do with it. Vector vs. Bitmap Vector graphics are made up of shapes defined by mathematical expressions. A vector graphic has crisp, smooth lines and is resolution-independent—that is, it can be rescaled to any size or displayed onscreen at any resolution without losing the clarity of its lines. Bitmap images (also called raster images) are based on a grid of small squares known as pixels. Each pixel has a specific location and color value assigned to it. Bitmap graphics can represent subtle gradations of shade and color. A disadvantage of bitmaps is that they represent a fixed number of pixels, so they can appear jagged and lose detail if they are rescaled or displayed onscreen at a higher resolution.
• Vector graphics are crisp at any size or resolution, so they're well suited for line art, type (especially small type), and graphics that may need to be scaled, such as logos and maps. Vectors also produce more compact files than bitmaps, so they're quicker to open or download on systems with limited memory or low-bandwidth connections.
Vector art consists of scalable shapes.
• Bitmap images can represent rich and subtle gradations of shade and color, so they're appropriate for artwork created in painting programs and for continuous-tone images such as photographs. You might also want to convert vectors to bitmaps to apply distortion filters or other special effects to them. Drawing programs such as Adobe® Illustrator® are ideal for creating vector graphics. Bitmap images are generally created using graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop®. Both Illustrator and Photoshop can rasterize your vectors into bitmaps
Bitmap art contains individual pixels.
So which type do you need? It depends on what you're trying to do:
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