What are vector and bitmap images, and how are they different?
Bitmapandvectorare two types of images found online or as a supported image jot down in graphics software.
The two formats work differently from each other when you examine them closely.
Overall Findings
Made of shapes.
More scalable without losing quality.
Compatible with Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photo-Paint, Corel Paint Shop Pro, and GIMP.
Lose quality when the image is resized larger.
Vector and bitmap images are both pictures on a screen, but they have different compositions and focuses.
Bitmaps are made ofpixels, while vector images are software-created and based on mathematical calculations.
Bitmaps are not only more common in everyday life but are easier to use.
In general, vectors are for making scalable work files, while bitmaps are for making sharable final products.
Includes GIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, and PSD.
Vectors are more specialized files and tend to appear in less common formats.
Bitmap images (also known as raster images) are made up of pixels in a grid.
Pixels are picture elements, tiny squares of individual color that make up what you see on the screen.
All these squares of color come together to form theimages you see.
Although not as commonly used as bitmap graphics, vector graphics have a lot of virtues.
Vector images are made up of many individuals, scalable objects.
They always render at the highest quality because they are rig-independent.
Ease of Use: Vectors Are More Robust
Resolution-independent.
Maximum quality regardless of scale.
Lose quality when scaling.
Easier to go from vector to bitmap than the other way.
Because bitmaps are resolution-dependent, it’s impossible to increase or decrease their size without sacrificing image quality.
When you reduce the size of a bitmap image through your software’sresampleor resize option, pixels must be discarded.
When you increase the size of a bitmap image, the software creates new pixels.
This process is called interpolation.
Scaling an image does not affect the image permanently.
In other words, it doesn’t change the number of pixels in the image.
What it does is make them bigger.
Even if you don’t see it on your screen, it will be apparent in the printed image.
Scaling a bitmap image to a smaller size doesn’t have any effect.
When you do this, you increase the PPI of the image so that it prints clearer.
This happens because it has the same number of pixels but in a smaller area.
Vector objects are defined by mathematical equations, called Bezier Curves, rather than pixels.
Changing the attributes of a vector object does not affect the object itself.
you could freely change any number of object attributes without destroying the basic object.
Fonts are one pop in of vector object.
Because they’re scalable, vector-based images are resolution-independent.
The most common reason to convert a vector to a bitmap would be for use on theweb.
The most common and accepted format for vector images on the web is Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).
This is slowly changing because many modern browsers are able to render SVG images.
The Final Product: Cartoons vs.
Photos
Made of solid blocks of color.
Can be any shape.
Captures greater detail due to high pixel counts.
Restricted to a square or rectangle shape.
Vector graphics are continually becoming more advanced.
Today’s vector tools apply bitmapped textures to objects, giving them a photo-realistic appearance.
Another advantage of vector images is that they’re not restricted to a rectangular shape like bitmaps.
Vector objects can be placed over other objects, and the object below will show through.
A vector circle and bitmap circle appear to be the same when seen on a white background.
That’s why most vector images tend to have a cartoon-like appearance.
Vector images primarily originate from the software.
On the other hand, vector images can easily be converted to bitmaps.
This process is called rasterizing.
