Vector images or bitmaps?
Introduction
There are some advantages and disadvantages of vector images compared to bitmap images. Knowing them will help you decide when it is appropriate to use each kind.
Vector images or bitmaps?
-
- Vector image files are much smaller than bitmap files. This means you need less storage space and they can be transmitted over the Internet faster. This helps, for example, web pages to load faster.
- Vector images are great for shapes and mathematical drawings, anywhere where the image is easily broken down into geometric forms. Fonts and logos, for example, are ideal candidates for vector images.
- You can zoom in and out of vector images without losing any detail, because all an application using your vector file does is to use your formula to redraw the image the size that you want it to be. This makes vector images ideal for all kinds of engineering, architectural or design drawings, in fact, anywhere where you need to zoom in to get great detail, and to zoom out for the bigger picture.
- If you keep zooming into a bitmap picture, you will eventually start to see the pixels, a process known as 'pixelisation'. This distorts the quality of the picture. You can see an example of this with the face on the left, that was made using Paint. If you don't zoom into a photo too much, however, you won't experience this problem.
- The downside to vector files is that they aren't good at representing complex pictures like photos, paintings or complicated works of art. These kinds of images don't reduce well down to a set of geometric shapes. These kinds of images need to be defined pixel by pixel, so bitmaps would be far more appropriate.
Using software
If you have ever used Google's excellent program called SketchUp then you will have used a program that produces vector drawings rather than bitmaps. Do a search for it and try it out. There are lots of 'Getting started' videos available and YouTube is an excellent source of help as well. Corel Draw is another vector drawing package. Microsoft Paint is a program you can use to create bitmaps.
You should spend some time getting experience of both types of software. As you use them, take note of the main features in the programs. How do the features in a vector application compare to those found in a bitmap application?