Raster and Vector Graphics

Uses of Vector Graphics

-Graphics that will be scaled (or resized) -Architectural drawings, CAD programs, flow charts. -Logos that will be scaled (resized) with loss of quality. -Illustrations and clip art. -Graphics on websites. Small file size allows for quick load times. -Fonts and specialized text effects

Raster Graphics

-Also called Bitmap -Consists of grids and pixels -Have fixed resolution and cannot be resized without altering image quality -Edited in paint programs

GIF - Graphics Interchange Format

-Animation - Standard format for animation on the Internet. -Most common format for: Animations Graphics with large blocks of a single color Graphics with transparent areas Images displayed on computer screens and on websites.

PSD - Photoshop document

-Native file format for Adobe Photoshop -Industry standard for raster graphic editing -Supports layers, text, and effects -Large file sizes.

Common Raster Formats

-PSD -GIF -JPEG -PNG -TIFF -PDF

Common Vector File Formats

AI - Adobe Illustrator Native file format for Adobe Illustrator. Industry standard used by developers of vector graphics. Used to create, save, and archive original artwork.

TIFF - Tagged Image File Format

Animation - No Transparency - No Available in compressed and un-compressed formats Compressed is advised Colors - 16 M (24-bit) Commonly Used For: Storage container for faxes and other digital images To store raw bitmap data by some programs and devices such as scanners

JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group

Animation - No Transparency - No Lossy compression Colors - 16.7 M (24-bit) High quality but larger file size than a GIF Commonly Used For: Photographs

PNG - Portable Network Graphics

Animation - no Transparency - yes 256 colors Not suited for photographs

Vector Graphics

Graphics that are based on mathematical formulas that define lines, shapes, and curves. Are comprised of paths connected by anchor points called nodes Can be 2D or 3D. Edited in draw programs.

Disadvantages of Vectors

Lower color quality than raster images. They do not support as many colors. Not good for photographic images. Limited in the type of effects that can be applied. Can be time consuming to create

Common Vector File Formats

Meta Graphic - can contain both raster and vector data. Shapes in vector graphics can be filled with textures and patterns that are raster graphics. EPS - Encapsulated Postscript Developed by Adobe but supported by most programs. Graphics developers generally save a copy of the AI file in EPS format because it can be opened by computers running different operating systems. Most common interchange format for the print industry due to its portability.

PDF - Portable Document Format

Open source, platform independent format that embeds fonts, images, layouts, and graphics Viewable with Acrobat Reader, a free program by Adobe Commonly used for: Sharing files regardless of available software Share files that can be protected from copying or editing Publishing electronic documents and ebooks

Common Vector File Formats

SVG - Scalable Vector Graphics Standard format created by W3C. Versatile, all-purpose vector format. Works well with web page design. WMF - Windows Metafile Microsoft created format for raster and vector. Common format for windows clipart.

Advantages of Vectors

Scalable - able to change size easily Resolution Independent - Regardless of how much the image is enlarged or reduced, the image definition and quality remain the same. Editability - since each vector is made up of separate and distinct objects, each can be edited independently at any time. Small File Sizes - easily transferred over the Internet.