The Difference Between Vector Graphics and Raster Graphics Platt College San Diego

These tools allow designers to generate, edit, and modify vector objects with precision and ease. With this information, our hope is to clear up any confusion between the two and to assist you with your next digital design or print project. Secondly, vector graphics are much more lightweight than raster ones.

• A pixel is a square of solid color made from the combination of red, green and blue light (also known as subpixels).
• The only way to know for sure is to open the file and get a close up look at part of the design.
• The image below shows a comparison of how Vector and Raster images are created.
• Other popular programs include CorelDraw and Affinity Designer, and vector images can be both created and edited using these programs.
• On the other hand, vector images are made of equations translated into code and so they take up far less space.

Raster images, also called bitmap images, are built by pixels which are tiny color squares. Using a multitude of different color pixels can create nice and smooth color blends. Vector graphics are usually utilized in graphic design for commercial and creative purposes.

File Formats for Vector Images

Similarly, if you wish to create a very nuanced image that features complexity in terms of color, tone, depth, and content, go for raster graphics. Pixels have the ability to offer the kind of detail that vectors simply can’t. Contrastingly, raster graphics are ideal for displaying digital photographs, detailed drawings, and scanned artwork. The wide color spectrum of raster images provides subtle color gradients and complex color mixing, which are highly valued in print materials. Converting a raster image to vector involves recreating the image completely, and this can get complicated. Raster and vector are fundamentally different image formats, and getting them to look alike simply will not work most of the time.

Raster images are often called bitmap images because they are made of millions of tiny squares, called pixels. You can identify a raster or bitmap image by looking at it very closely. If you zoom in enough, you will be able to see the square outlines of each pixel (especially around edges where there are https://deveducation.com/ dramatic color contrasts). Vector graphics on the other hand, are made up of mathematical equations allowing them to be infinitely scalable and making them ideal for logo creation, geometric designs, and typography. This now removes detail from the photo and creates a “blurry or pixelated” final product.

What is a Raster Graphic?

Also, converting Raster to Vector is unnecessary as the printed images or photos captured with a digital camera are in Raster format. Raster (or bitmap) images are generally what you think about when thinking of images. These raster and vector graphics difference are the types of images that are produced when scanning or photographing an object. Raster images are compiled using pixels, or tiny dots, containing unique color and tonal information that come together to create the image.

As a visual communicator, it is your job to put together the best, most professional products to deliver the right message to the right audience. Understanding different file formats and mediums is essential to help you communicate effectively. Raster images and vector graphics have different purposes in design, and it is essential for you to understand when and where to use them for the right purpose. Moreover, and more importantly, the time and energy that it will take to make a vector resemble a raster is not worth the underwhelming result.

Raster vs. Vector Images: What’s the Difference?

When you create an image by Raster programs the file types will be .png, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .bmp, .pdf, and .esp. For example, if we scale a raster image to enlarge it, without changing resolution, it will lose quality and look blurry or pixilated. This is because we are stretching the pixels over a larger area, thus making them look less sharp. This is a common problem but can be remedied by using raster image editing programs such as Photoshop to change resolution and properly scale images. Converting raster images to vector formats can be done, but in specific contexts.

But with vector images, you’re saying, “fill the background with a left-to-right gradient that fades from blue to pink.” Vector graphics are ideal for print designs due to the fact that they are resolution independent. Their infinite scalability and simplified shapes make them perfect for designs like logos that must be adaptable and easily edited for a variety of contexts. The computer simply recalculates the equations whenever the size or position changes.

As a result, a vector file format allows content creators to change colors, shapes, text, and other design elements more quickly. Because of their mathematical nature, vectors can be infinitely scaled down or up without loss of resolution. Vector images are available in a variety of formats, with the most common being SVG, AI, EPS, and PDF.