Vector Graphics

Vector Graphics

A vector graphic consists of several control points and vectors, each point having a position on the x/y axis of the image. Every point also contains information on the direction the vector should pass through in. Each vector, or stroke, can also be assigned an individual colour, fill, shape and thickness.

Vector graphics are most commonly used as images that are commonly scaled to many different sizes, such as company logos.

Advantages:

·         Vector images can be rescaled to any size without loss of quality

·         Vector images have a much smaller file size than their bitmap counterparts

Disadvantages:

·         As modern displays are raster devices, vector formats must first be converted to a raster format in order to be rendered.

·         Due to the above, vector images require more processing power to display, meaning that it can take longer for the image to display.

·         Vectors are limited to simple images, meaning they cannot display photographs or other detailed images.

·         In some cases scaling the image down may cause some lines to become so thin that they are no longer visible.