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Raster vs Vector
Made By:
Suchitra Singh
There are two main type of image files:
Raster
 Raster images are created with pixel-based
programs or captured with a camera or
scanner.
 They are more common in general such as
jpg, gif, png and are widely used on the web.
 When using a raster program you paint an
image and it's similar to dipping a brush in
paint and painting. You can blend colors to
soften the transition from one color to
another.
Vector
 Vector graphics are created with vector
software and are common for images that
will be applied onto a physical product. Also
used in CAD, engineering, and 3D graphics.
 When using a vector program you draw the
outline of shapes: and it's similar to creating
an image with tiles of all different shapes and
sizes. e.g. an eye shape, a nose shape, a lip
shape. These shapes called objects display
one single color each.
Pixels vs Vectors
 Raster images are made of pixels. A pixel is a single point or the smallest single element
in a display device. If you zoom in to a raster image you may start to see a lot of little
tiny squares.
 Vector images are mathematical calculations from one point to another that form lines
and shapes. If you zoom into a vector graphic it will always look the same.
A raster image has a specific number of pixels.
When you enlarge the image file without
changing the number of pixels, the image will
look blurry. When you enlarge the file by
adding more pixels, the pixels are added
randomly throughout the image, rarely
producing good results.
When you enlarge a vector graphic, the
math formulas stay the same,
rendering the same visual graphic no
matter the size. Vector graphics can be
scaled to any size without losing
quality.
Comparison between Raster & Vector:
Raster (Bitmap)
 Pixel-based.
 Raster programs best for editing photos
and creating continuous tone images
with soft color blends.
 Do not scale up optimally - Image must
be created/scanned at the desired
usage size or larger.
Vector
 Mathematical calculations that form
shapes.
 Vector programs best for creating logos,
drawings and illustrations, technical
drawings. For images that will be applied
to physical products.
 Can be scaled to any size without losing
quality.
Continue…..
Raster (Bitmap)
 Large dimensions & detailed images
equal large file size.
 It is more difficult to print raster images
using a limited amount of spot colors.
 Some processes cannot use raster
formats.
Vector
 Resolution-independent: Can be printed
at any size/resolution.
 A large dimension vector graphic
maintains a small file size.
 Number of colors can be easily
increased or reduced to adjust printing
budget.
 Vector art can be used for many
processes and easily rasterized to be
used for all processes.
Continue…..
Raster (Bitmap)
 Depending on the complexity of the
image, conversion to vector may be time
consuming.
 Raster images are the most common
image format, including: jpg, gif, png, tif,
bmp, psd, eps and pdfs originating from
raster programs.
 Common raster programs: photo editing /
paint programs such as Photoshop & Paint
Shop, GIMP (free).
Vector
 Can be easily converted to raster.
 It is not the best format for continuous
tone images with blends of color or to edit
photographs.
 Common vector graphic file format: ai, cdr,
svg, and eps & pdfs originating from
vector programs.
 Common vector programs: drawing
programs such as Illustrator, CorelDraw,
Inkscape (free).
DPI vs PPI
 DPI - Dots per Inch
This is the amount of ink dots the printer will put on each pixel of your image. The
DPI is set by the actual printer device and it is not something in the image for the
graphic designer to manipulate.
 PPI - Pixels per Inch
Digital raster images are measured in pixels, or picture elements. How many pixels
per inch is determined by the device you create the digital image with: camera,
scanner, or graphics software and can be modified with a photo/paint editing
software.