Digital_Images

include component="page" page="menu-graphics" editable="1" =Graphic Design: Digital Images= Pixels are the basis for how graphics are displayed on computer and TV screens. Pixel is an individual PICTURE ELEMENT (usually square) that creates a little dot of colour in a graphic
 * __PIXELS__**


 * __BITMAP or RASTER GRAPHICS__**
 * BITMAP GRAPHICS are made up of **PIXELS** (picture elements) - these graphics arrange the pixels in rows and columns to form a rectangular "canvas" that can typically be thousands of pixels wide or tall.
 * The more PIXELS used in your canvas, the more DETAILED your picture can be... this is referred to as higher “RESOLUTION”.
 * BITMAPS are used by MS Paint, Adobe Photoshop, Digital Cameras, Scanners - anything that makes BMP, JPG, GIF, TIF, PCT format files.
 * **Strengths** -
 * Bitmaps can be Photorealistic;
 * They are universally used in webbrowsers (JPG & GIF);
 * They are easy to make.
 * **Weaknesses** -
 * Bitmaps can have LARGE filesizes; To overcome this, formats like JPG use "Lossy compression", but this can erode images;
 * Bitmaps are easily corrupted if poorly edited; Poor bitmaps display jaggies if not resized properly.

__**VECTOR GRAPHICS**__ An alternative to bitmap graphics is "VECTOR GRAPHICS" - it defines shapes with specific mathematical points, and then describes how these points should be joined. For example, a triangle could be defined just by the relative location of it's three corner points, and it's colour.
 * Vector graphics are ideally suited to "ILLUSTRATIONS" rather than "PHOTOS"
 * Vector graphics can describe simple graphics much more EFFICIENTLY than bitmaps
 * Vectors are used by programs such as FLASH, ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR and COREL DRAW
 * **Strengths**
 * Vector graphics can often be stored in SMALLER FILES, and transmit over the web much more quickly than bitmaps
 * Vectors are easily "scaled" to appear larger or smaller without losing their clarity
 * **Weaknesses** - Vector graphics aren't as universally standardized as bitmaps, and so display on the web usually requires a plugin