WHAT IS A VECTOR GRAPHIC ?Bitmap Images are Raster Graphics, and they have much larger File sizes. Vector Graphics are widely used in many Computer Drawing Programs.
They use Lines, and other Geometric Shapes to represent things. Applications that use Vectors are known as Drawing Applications, where applications that use Raster Graphics are known as Paint Applications.
Vector Graphic
Raster Graphics (Bitmap Files)
Raster Graphics are based on Pixels in a Grid. A Pixel is one tiny Dot, and each Picture is made up of tiny Dots of different colours. If you Resize the Image, then all that happens is the Pixels get larger, which causes a loss of Quality if you try to Resize such an Image.
Think about your Digital Camera, it may be 4 Mega Pixels, or 10 Mega Pixels, and if the Image sizes will be larger, there will be more detail stored, because more Pixels are used to represent the Data.
When should I use a Vector Graphic ?
Vector Graphics are Drawings based on Mathematical Equations and Points. A Vector Image can be Resized without any loss of Quality, and this is because the points can easily move. Vector Graphics are commonly used in applications, that do not require realistic Drawings. All CAD Applications are drawn in Vector Graphics.
Vector Graphics are quite small lightweight Files, and so they are ideally suited to use on Websites, but of course this completely depends upon the need for Graphics. Vector Graphics cannot be used to Display Photorealistic Graphics, because they are only capable of being used for simple representative Graphics.
Vector Graphics use Lines and Curves to represent something rather than actually looking like it, and they are very much like Technical Drawings.
These Images can be Resized without losing Quality, because they do not have a fixed resolution. Raster Graphics on the other hand do have a fixed resolution, when you draw a new Bitmap you are asked to define this resolution. Making the image larger will result in a loss of quality. Try it with your Digital Photos, if you Resize it, then it will start to become Distorted.
Raster Graphics have much larger File sizes, than Vector Graphics. Think again about your Digital Photo, some are as big as 7MB! A CAD Drawing is very complicated, but also very small. Because Raster Graphics are Designed at a certain resolution, then even if the Monitor, or Printers resolution is higher, no benefit will be gained.
If you take a Photo with a 1 MP Digital Camera, and print it on a printer capable of 1440 DPI, there will not be any difference, however Vector Graphics will look better at higher resolutions.
The computer’s Devices themselves are not normally capable of Displaying Vector Graphics, because they will convert the Vector Graphics into Raster Images to be Displayed on your Computer Monitor.
CAD Software and Animation Software will all use Vector Graphics, and if you have a Postscript Printer, then it will use Postscript Fonts. Postscript Fonts are actually Vector Graphics, but any other form of Printer will be a Raster Device, and have to convert the Vector Graphic before any processing can take place.
Think of Vector Graphics as Cartoons, they represent something using just lines and basic Shading. Whereas Raster Graphics are what you really see.
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