Bitmap images are made up of squares and have limited resolution and shape flexibility, while vector images are scalable and can have curved shapes. Bitmaps are better for photorealistic images, but vectors are better for moving images. Both types are used by computer engineers and designers.
There are several differences between vector and bitmap images, but the most important ones usually involve resolution, shape and motion, and photorealism, which is the clarity with which photos and other graphics appear on a computer screen. Software engineers and computer programmers use both types of images quite regularly, and they each serve important purposes. Bitmaps are often considered more “old-fashioned,” in part because they were the original building blocks of digital images and Internet graphics. While vector images do a better job at some tasks, there is still an important role for bitmaps. In general, vectors are better suited for moving images since they are not limited to a rectangular shaped field like bitmaps are and can also have moving parts, while bitmaps tend to be static. At the same time, however, bitmaps are often considered superior for presenting photos and other graphic images on the screen. Most computer engineers and digital graphic designers know and use both on a regular basis.
Bitmap basics
The most basic type of image in any discussion of computer design is the bitmap image, which sounds like something from the early days of computing: a “map of bits,” and to some extent that definition holds true. A bitmap image is literally a collection of squares that, taken together, make up a recognizable image. The squares can be of different colors, but they are all the same size.
The vector model
The other half of the equation is the vector image. This type of image is much more sophisticated because it has moving parts and components that can adjust to user commands. Each such graphic is made up of a handful of smaller pieces, just like the bitmap, except that the parts of the vector image are scalable. This means that designers can change the resolution of a vector image in both directions, making a “high resolution” image lower, or conversely, making a “low resolution” image higher.
Resolution differences
Resolution is one of the most important differences and can basically be described as how many dots per inch (or per cm) an image has. The higher the concentration of dots, the sharper and clearer the image will be. Another way of looking at this is that high resolution images tend to have better detail than lower resolution images.
Bitmap images often look really sharp in their original size, but the moment people try to expand or enlarge them they start to look more like a collection of colored squares than a recognizable image. Shrinking can also pose problems, as in most cases shrinking things means some blocks are actually dropped; this can reduce overall sharpness. Vector images usually don’t have these problems since their “building blocks” typically grow and expand as the image does, at least to some extent.
Shape restrictions
Another important distinction between vector and bitmap concerns the relativity of shapes. Vector images aren’t limited to a rectangular shape, but bitmaps are. A designer who places a vector image on top of another image won’t cover any of the details of what’s on the bottom. However, this won’t happen when it’s a bitmap, as bitmaps are made up entirely of square pixels. The background of a bitmap is also pixelated, although you usually don’t notice it. Vectors can also contain curved shapes such as lines or polygons, while bitmaps appear as squares. This impacts things like detail and flexibility.
Photorealism and detail
Another key difference involves embedded graphics and photographic images, which is perhaps most commonly discussed in the context of web design. In most cases, the most commonly used graphics file formats are actually bitmap images: GIF, JPG, PICT, and TIFF are all good examples. In the context of the web page, vector images lack the texture of bitmap images in terms of photorealism. When trying to decide between image types for digital photos or photo-like images on a web page, the best choice for a more photorealistic image is almost always the bitmap.
Vector images are commonly converted to bitmap format for use in web design. One of the most important exceptions to this rule applies to images attached to or embedded in Portable Document Format (PDF) documents. Most PDF files are actually made up of vector images and many of these will retain their integrity and resolution when not converted and used online.
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