Bitmap vs. Vector Graphics

Computer drawing software creates and displays graphics in two basic ways: Bitmap or Vector

 

Bitmap graphics describe artwork using colored pixels arranged on a grid. Every pixel, or cell, is assigned an individual color.

Think of it as a game of Battleship, or as an Excel Spreadsheet that uses columns and rows to reference individual cells. The code in a bitmap graphic decsribes the color for every cell on the grid. Bitmap graphics are great for photographs, or even photo-realistic artwork

Vector graphics use math to describe shapes in terms of lines, fills, curves, colors, and position. This leads to decreased file sizes and decreased levels of detail, but vector graphics can be re-sized without any unwanted rasterizing:

Adobe Flash uses vector-based drawing tools. So does Freehand and In-Design.

Let's look at three

Scale - Vector graphics can be resized up to infinity without losing resolution. Bitmap images tend to rasterize (get fuzzy or jagged) when enlarged.
Efficiency - Vector graphics produce much smaller files sizes than comparable bitmap graphics. This is especially important when creating drawings and animations suitable for distribution on the Web.
Detail - Vector graphics are not suitable for highly detailed artwork, such as photographs. Bitmap graphics are a much better choice.

Bitmap Drawing: Fireworks.gif	Vector Drawing: Flash.swf
Bitmap Zoom 400%	Vector Zoom 400%