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Bitmap images, made up of pixels, are used for digital cameras, scanners and editing. They display images realistically and are easily shared and edited. However, they don’t scale well and have large file sizes, which can be combated with compressed file formats such as JPEG and GIF.
Chances are you were dealing with a bitmap image. They are the type of images produced by digital cameras and scanners. People also use them when editing or enhancing photographs or drawings. These images, while widely used, have several advantages and disadvantages. These include issues with scaling an image, image quality, and file size.
One benefit of using a bitmap image is that it can display an image realistically. Bitmap images are made up of pixels, which is basically a colored dot. Correctly placing the different colored dots next to each other will create the illusion of one color blending into another. Therefore, it is easier to get a more real looking image using this format.
The ease with which people can share and edit images is another advantage of these images. Computer programs ranging from oekaki drawing forums to professional image editing software are available to view, create, and edit these images. With all the options available, virtually anyone with access to a computer can share and manipulate some formats of these images. And many people do. Several bitmap image formats are used in website graphics and online art galleries.
One of the disadvantages associated with a bitmap image is that it doesn’t tend to scale very well. While it can be easy to resize an image without loss of clarity, it’s not easy to enlarge an image without the image becoming pixelated. Another disadvantage associated with a bitmap is the large file size. An uncompressed image can be quite large due to the amount of information needed to display all the pixels in various colors. Uploading, sending or receiving such a file can take a long time.
To combat this problem, various compressed file formats can be used. The downside is that many times compressing a bitmap file can cause artifacts, areas of blurry or incorrect color that can ruin the detail and overall look of an image. JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg) and CompuServe Graphics Interface (.gif) are both compressed bitmap file types. Depending on the image you have, you may choose to use one of these file types. The JPEG file type may work on a very large, detailed file, such as a photograph, but a GIF may be better suited for graphics, text, or animations.
