Vector & Raster

There are some major differences between Vector and Raster images, in this section of the blog I will be talking about what the differences are and how they will or could possibly effect my decision making on the production process. Also i will be talking about the positives and negatives of both types of images.

First of all I will talk about the benefits of using vector images; one of the major benefits of using vector is that due to the fact that when an image is created it is based around a mathematical function which when it comes to editing the size of an image it is a case of changing the math behind the graphic which results in a reduced pixilation/ distortion. However when an image becomes increased in size dramatically it will show imperfections. Vector images are also memory efficient due to the fact that when an image is created it will remember only the key points for example a black square as a vector graphic would remember the four points of the square and then the colour and then fill in the rest. Cross compatibility with other pieces of software results in a beneficial argument when talking about vectors. Vector images in flash are becoming particularly popular with regards to macromedia flash due to the fact that it is very simple to use and navigate.

The two pictures below show the difference in quality of images when zoomed in, close to being the same image it is clear that the vector image is of higher quality compared to the bitmap. The image is of my animation Hello Kitty

Vector


Bitmap



Secondly I will talk about raster images and the benefits of using this image format, one of the main features of using raster images are the fact that you have the ability to edit individual pixels. When dealing with raster images you would normally talk about it in the context of DPI (dots per inch) each pixel has an individual colour from a pallet of 16 million if working on a 24 bit system. Due to the fact that every pixel on the screen has a unique colour this can provide for a richer image. Raster images are useful when importing images from external sources such as documents that have been scanned. Most photos will be in raster format due to the ability to the rich pallet of colours that it can possibly contain, also with the idea of photographs it could be said that if you was wishing to add effects to a photograph you would be editing the image as a raster. Again if you wanted to add a texture to a design project then you would be working on an image in a bitmap/ raster image rather than a vector.

A negative aspect of using the vector graphic format is the fact that it does not support photographs compared to that of raster, also when transporting vectors across software platforms it can be hugely difficult if not impossible.

A negative aspect of using the raster/ bitmap image format is the pixilation problem when zoomed in which would probably be the main reason for the lack of logo products produced in raster format. Also as I said before as it can contain a huge amount of colours in one image although this could be said to be a beneficial argument for raster images, this results in a huge file size. This file size can be problematic when dealing with image transferring which when dealing with photos will be one of the actions taken on photographs. Also if you wish to transfer an image from a raster into a vector this is very problematic.