Vector graphics use mathematical relationships between points to describe images, making them more flexible and clearer than raster graphics. They can be easily scaled without losing clarity, making them ideal for logos and illustrations. However, they are not suitable for photographic images.
A vector graphic is a type of computer graphics that uses mathematical relationships between points on an image to describe that image. Vector graphics are more flexible and clearer than raster graphics, or bitmaps, which are computer images made up of individual colored dots called pixels. There are a limited number of pixels in raster images, which means that a larger image needs more pixels and a smaller image needs fewer pixels. A vector graphic does not have this limitation because it can be reduced or enlarged easily, based on the mathematical relationships between the points “A” and “B”. The mathematical relationship between points is represented as a path, or line, or curve connecting the two points.
Clarity, regardless of size, is one of the benefits of a vector graphic. Because a raster image, also known as a bitmap image, uses a limited amount of pixels to create an image, it usually cannot be enlarged without a loss of clarity. For example, if an image with 100 pixels is to be enlarged to one with 1,000 pixels, the computer will have to add information to fill in the extra 900 pixels, often resulting in a loss of clarity. Vector graphics do not have this limitation. Because a vector graphic uses mathematics to express the relationship between two points in paths, enlarging and reducing the image usually does not result in a loss of clarity.
This clarity often makes vector graphics ideal for use in typefaces, line art, and illustrations. As a company logo, for example, a vector graphic can be scaled down for printing on letterhead and envelopes, and can be scaled up for billboards without loss of quality. Vector graphics are typically small file sizes because the math that describes the image is the only thing that needs to be stored. Also, several people can edit the image using the appropriate software by simply moving the dots, which changes the path between the dots. These advantages allow it to be used in applications such as company logos, page layouts, fonts and text graphics, among other uses.
Unfortunately, vector graphics aren’t usually ideal for photographic images. These details are often reserved for raster images. However, a vector graphic can be rasterized, which means it can be converted into a raster image by assigning pixels to the image, rather than using mathematical relationships to describe it. A raster image can also be converted to a vector image, but it usually takes more work to create clean vector graphics. Once rasterized, a vector image, now a raster image, can be edited like a regular raster image.
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