
If you're saving an image off your Facebook, it has already been resized and compressed who knows how many times by the time you save your copy.
#Raster graphics definition how to
Usually the source file, which has the highest resolution with the least amount of compression, is required, and often times people simply do not keep these files/know how to identify them. There are times where a raster graphic is suitable for print, however, because it is impossible to enlarge them without a loss in quality (called "upsampling"), the raster must begin as high resolution for best results. Raster graphics are ideal for the web and photography. Because the graphics are made up of millions of dots of color, the file sizes are typically much larger and take up more memory. Rasters can be scaled smaller, but never scaled to be larger than their original dimensions without a loss in quality, because they are resolution dependent. Rasters are considered destructively editable, which means that once you alter a pixel graphic, you cannot easily revert it unless you have a previous save available. By default, photographs are inherently raster images. But as you zoom in, you begin to see the individual pixels that make the image up. From a distance, the picture you are viewing may look whole and beautiful. RasterĪ raster graphic is one that consists of tiny square pixels within a grid and are often referred to as bitmap images - because they are millions of bits upon a map. The final product and printing process of your design should also be a determining factor. They are both valuable and serve different purposes. So let’s start from the beginning, shall we? What is the difference between a raster graphic and a vector graphic?Īnswering this question will help you determine what program you design in, and what file types you should save as. So we’re here to break down some of the basic concepts of creating digital artwork to help you focus on what you do best: your music.

Raster? Vector? What are these strange words? What does it all mean?! And yet at the same time, we keep trying to grasp these foreign notions because we recognize the importance of strong design and the role it plays in complementing our work as musicians - from great CD packaging, to T-shirts and all the great little tidbits your fans gobble up at your merch tables.

There are a ton of options when it comes to creating digital artwork - with so many different programs, and file types it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Doing so allows the printer to give the appearance of any font, even if a font is not available for the printer.Similarly to music, the world of design is vast. Another reason is the ability to outline all elements of the image. The ability to resize the image to any size without loss of quality or distortion is one of the biggest reasons most companies require a vector image. There are many reasons why most printing companies need a vector image.

Why do printing companies require vector image? A popular program used to view and create vector images is Adobe Illustrator.

The most common vector file types include. There are many different file formats ( file extensions) used to create a vector graphic. The image can be small on your computer but scaled to the size required without any jaggies or other image distortions. For example, you could use a vector graphic to help make a banner or sign. The key advantage of using vector graphics instead of raster images is their ability to scale without compromising image quality. These paths, all based on mathematical expressions, consist of basic geometric shapes, such as lines, polygons, and curves. In computer graphics, a vector graphic or vector image is an image made up paths (lines with a starting and ending points).
