| Raster and vector are used for storing and | | | | that is produced has no jaggedness, no loss in detail |
| manipulating images and graphics data on a computer. | | | | and can be printed at any resolution or any size. This |
| All of the major CAD software and GIS (Geographic | | | | vector images can be scaled up or down without any |
| Information Systems) packages available today are | | | | loss in quality. Vector data is geometrically and |
| primarily based on either of the two- raster or vector | | | | mathematically associated and comes in form of lines |
| graphics. | | | | and points. Points are stored using the coordinates, |
| A raster image uses a framework of colors known as | | | | such as a two-dimensional point is stored as (x, y). |
| pixels to represent images. A specific location and | | | | Application areas for vector image formats include: |
| color value is assigned to each pixel. When editing | | | | 1. Company Logos |
| objects or shapes, in a bitmap image, you edit pixels. | | | | 2. 3D and CAD programs |
| Because, raster images are resolution dependent they | | | | 3. Specialized text effects |
| tend to lose quality when enlarged. A raster image has | | | | 4. GIS systems |
| pixels associated with it for all spatial locations, it is | | | | 5. Plumbing design and detailing |
| strictly limited by how big a spatial area it can | | | | 6. HVAC |
| represent. The total size of a two-dimensional raster | | | | 7. Electrical Drawings |
| image will increase by 4 times, when the spatial | | | | Advantages of using a vector image formats include: |
| resolution is increased by 2 times as the number of | | | | 1. Resolution independent |
| pixels are also doubled in both X and Y dimensions. | | | | 2. No jaggedness when enlarged |
| How to overcome the problem of lose quality when | | | | 3. Smooth curves |
| enlarging the image? This is where raster to vector | | | | 4. Small file sizes |
| conversion need comes in! Vector images are | | | | The author of the article is working with a raster to |
| generally made of lines and curves defined by | | | | vector conversion company - also specializing in |
| mathematical objects called vectors. These vector | | | | drafting services, CAD services and other raster to |
| points allow the computer to connect the dots using | | | | vector services. |
| straight and curves lines and strokes. The vector file | | | | |