Raster and vector images have various characteristics. The first of them consist of the smallest blocks - pixels. They can not be seen with the naked eye, if you do not increase the picture to the maximum. The number of pixels per inch is a characteristic on which the quality of a bitmap image depends. The usual description of how raster and vector graphics differ is: a vector consists of many points connected by lines or curves, and not pixels.
Where raster graphics are used
Raster graphics are most often used to create photorealistic images and digital drawings. To create it, most designers use the popular graphics editor Adobe Photoshop. The most common formats are:
Using raster graphics, you can create drawings of any complexity. Moreover, the color rendition will be more natural, which facilitates the printing of the image, and the transitions between the shades can be made smooth. Raster images are widely used on the web, in creating interfaces and in the design of sites.
The main disadvantages of the raster
The disadvantages of their use include a relatively large file size and the dependence of image size on computer power. The main thing that distinguishes vector graphics from raster graphics is the preservation of image quality when it is scaled. The larger the image size, the slower it will be processed in a graphical editor if the equipment has insufficient memory and a weak processor. When stretching a JPEG image, so-called “artifacts” or distortions appear.
Where vector graphics are used
The vector image is built of simple geometric shapes or geometric primitives: points, straight lines, circles, polygons. All of them are described by mathematical formulas, therefore in vector graphics there is a concept of coordinate and line, but there is no concept of pixel.
The most popular vector formats include:
- AI - format of the graphic editor Adobe Illustrator;
- CDR - Coral Draw format;
- SVG is a format often used on the web.
One more point can be designated, what is the difference between vector graphics and raster, briefly - the scope of use. The fact is that with the help of the first of these, icons, logos, technical drawings are most often created. Illustrations, which should scale well and not lose quality, are also formed in the described format. The complexity of creating photorealistic images is exactly what distinguishes vector graphics from raster graphics.
Advantages and disadvantages of the vector
The main advantages of vector graphics are the lack of quality loss when scaling and the use of a small amount of computer resources. These are usually small files containing a small amount of information. They do not have a specific resolution, so you can increase and decrease them to any value.
But complex vector images, with great detail, still require enough RAM and processing power of the computer processor. By the way, the inability to translate all images into a vector is what distinguishes vector graphics from raster graphics. Complex pictures with a rich palette of shades cannot always be recreated using mathematical formulas, in which case you have to turn to the raster.
Graphics software
Thanks to the development of technology, the integration of two main types of graphics has occurred, therefore it is sometimes difficult to understand which format the work is working with.
Adobe Illustrator and Coral Draw are the most popular vector programs. Adobe Photoshop is often used for raster, but you can also create vector images using the Pen tool, as well as insert smart objects that are vector but display as raster. When scaling, they do not lose their quality.
Adobe Illustrator also has many raster effects, and when you apply any of them to a vector object, it is rasterized to a certain size. In Adobe Illustrator, there is the concept of a mesh gradient. This effect helps to draw photorealistic pictures that remain vector, but at the same time they retain detail.
As you can see, it’s very important for a designer to understand how vector graphics differ from raster graphics and when what kind of graphics should be used.