People who are newly introduced into the world of computer graphics are often confused by the different technologies and terminologies that are used in the CG world.
One of the most common question newbie and budding graphic designers have is about vector images and vector graphics.
To answer and help out all the people who are interested to know more about vector graphics, today we bring an article that explains about vector graphics and why vector images are important in the digital world.
What are Vector Graphics and Vector Images?
Vector Graphics is a computer graphics technique followed in order to render images. In vector graphics, images are formed as a collection of 2-dimensional points.
These 2D points which represent a vector image are then combined using lines or curves in order to form the resultant vector images.
The points of a vector image are determined in terms of x and y co-ordinates. Each point present in a vector image has a definite x and y coordinate value which makes it possible to draw the final vector image.
What is Raster Graphics?
The alternative to vector graphics is raster graphics, which is also known as a bitmap. Instead of forming images by joining points, raster graphics use pre-stored graphic values of each individual pixel of the image in order to form the actual final image.
Below are some of the key points that make vector graphics and vector images quite important in the digital world.
- Ability to Resize and Scale Efficiently:
Unlike Raster Graphics, vector graphics makes it possible to resize and scale vector images almost endlessly without losing the original image quality. When resized or scaled, vector images will retain their smooth and sharp edges. - Efficiency in File-Size:
Vector image files contain mostly a description of the mathematical coordinates of points involved in the image rather than information about each individual pixels of the image. Which means, vector image files consume very little space and hence is easy to store and transmit. - Easier Editing:
Editing of vector images can be done easily than raster images. Editing includes changing colour components and other parameters of the image. - Easier to Print:
As vector images can be scaled and resized efficiently, printing of vector images will result in the image being printed with its actual quality rather than looking pixelated. - Raster Conversion is Possible:
In case you wish to wish to convert a vector image to raster image, it can be done easily. However, a raster image cannot be converted to a vector image.
Which One to Choose: Vector or Raster?
Choosing the right image file type is really important in making sure that you get the best result for your work.
To make things simple, raster graphics is best for people who are working with photographs and similar images. However, if your objective is to create an illustration or a logo, then vector graphics is what you need as you will require all the features offered by vector graphics to successfully complete your project.
Final Words
In the above article, we have tried to explain about vector images and the importance of vector images in the digital world without making it too lengthy or boring. We hope that you found this article interesting.
If you would like to add some thoughts of your own to this article, then please feel free to leave a comment below.