vector and bitmap images

Vector and bitmap images

information used to write my report on vector and bitmap images

A bitmap image maybe also be known as a ‘raster’ image is a data structure built up of a grid of pixels, each pixel is coloured differently and together make up the image, once you zoom in on the image the quality starts to fade as you see the individual pixels, this also works when enlarging the picture. Raster images are stored in image files, the more pixels the larger the file, due to this designer has to balance detail over file size.

However although raster images have a larger file size than vector they do allow more and  better looking images to be created and with the internet speeds advancing all the time creators can use more detailed images without having to fear download time.

Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygons, which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics.
Vector graphics files store the lines, shapes and colours that make up an image as mathematical formulae, due to this they can be downloaded much faster than Bitmap images.
 A vector graphics program uses these mathematical formulae to construct the screen image, building the best quality image possible, given the screen resolution. The mathematical formulae determine where the dots that make up the image should be placed for the best results when displaying the image. Since these formulae can produce an image scalable to any size and detail, the quality of the image is limited only by the resolution of the display, and the file size of vector data generating the image stays the same. Printing the image to paper will usually give a sharper, higher resolution output than printing it to the screen but can use exactly the same vector data file.