Features and Limitations of Graphical file formats

In this part of my blog I will be explaining the features and limitations of Graphical file formats such as:

·         Vector

·         Bitmap

·         Jpeg

·         GIF

Types and uses of file formats

The four main types of graphic file formats are Vector, Bitmap, Jpeg and GIF. A Vector file format is made up of points, lines, and curves which form many complex images. A Vector file format would be used for creating images especially logos. A Bitmap graphic is composed of pixels, they are ideal for photograph images as they can store thousands of different colours, complex fills and shading. A Jpeg is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital photography. Jpeg stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and they are used for photographs, naturalistic artwork, and similar material. A GIF image is a type of Bitmap format and they are compiled up of a number of bits mainly 8bits per pixel. A Bitmap image would be used for images such as graphics and logos as they have solid areas of colour, they also supports animations and allows a separate palette of 256 colours for each frame.

Different File Sizes

Vector- vector file sizes are generally small; vector formats normally do not support data compression as most bitmap formats do.

Bitmap- the file size of bitmap graphics can vary from large to small depending on the image dimensions and colour depth.

Jpeg- jpeg images file sizes are very small and are easily and often compressed to make the file even smaller.

GIF- A GIF is a very small file, much smaller, and clearer than any JPG, and ideal for graphics on the web.

Vector and Bitmap Graphics

Bitmap images are also known as raster images and are made up of numerous pixels. When trying to resize a bitmap image the quality of the image will dramatically increase or decrease. Vector images are made up with many different scalable objects such as lines, curves and shapes. A big advantage of a vector graphic over a bitmap is resizing as you can make a vector graphic larger or smaller without it losing quality.

Benefits and Limitations

Benefits of Vector Graphics:

·         Their shapes can be easily edited and modified

·         File size is generally small so they wont take up much memory

·         They have smaller output files for internet use

·         Vector graphics are well suited for detailed image and graphics work and industrial illustrations such as house plans.

Limitations of Vector Graphics:

·         If creating a vector image or graphic from scratch they can take a large amount of time to create

·         Can be easily brought up and displayed by all programs

Benefits of Bitmap Graphics:

·         File size can be small so they can save memory

·         You can set the colour of every individual pixel to make the graphic more realistic

·         Bitmap graphics are easy to create and can be easily shown on the internet

Limitations of Bitmap Graphics:

·         When resizing the graphic the graphic quality gets worse

·         When you enlarge the image, you can see a lot of the pixels.