Whats the Difference Between “Vector” & “Raster” Graphics?
Charlotte Pidgeon wrote to ask what program is needed to draw some relatively simple geometric shapes to be filled with various colors. I replied that professional designers use “vector drawing programs” such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw (my favorite) and that MSWord comes with some simple drawing tools built-in. Most computer graphics fall into two main categories: “vector” and “raster.” Raster graphics are also referred to as “bitmap” images, such as the JPG format used for photos, wherein thousands of tiny “bits” (squares) are “mapped” on your screen to give the illusion of continuous tone gradients. Vector graphics tend to be geometric shapes generated by creating and connecting straight lines and curves which can be filled with various colors. In MSWord, clicking View>Toolbars>Drawing will display a toolbar dislaying a square, a circle, and a menu titled AutoShapes which offers additional polygons such as stars, arrows, triangles, and etc. Clicking the circle icon lets you c
