Compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of bitmap and vector image types.

Graphics are drawn using either bit-mapped programs such as Paint or vector programs such as Autosketch, both of which have their advantages and disadvantages.

A bitmap is an image which is made up of tiny squares of colour. They produce good quality image where shading and fine detail are needed such as in photographs.

The amount of detail that can be seen in a picture depends on the resolution of the image; how many times per inch these squares or pixels occur. 300 times per inch is what is needed for good quality reproduction on a commercial printing press, and 72 pixels per inch for monitor display.

The main advantage of a bitmap is that it can be accessed sooner through the internet when you have the proper size. The accuracy is very high when displaying image information including the shadings and the other complex and smooth places. Another advantage is that it can be used as a universal format. Most of the Bitmap graphics are not proprietary.

One of the disadvantages associated with a bitmap image is that it does not tend to resize very well. While it may be easy to scale down an image without loss of clarity, it is not easy to enlarge the image, can result in aliasing because of the 'pixelation' makes the image look coarse. Another disadvantage associated with a bitmap is the large file size. An uncompressed image can be too large because of the amount of information needed to display all the pixels in the various colors. Such a file can take a long time to load, send, or ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Vector images are different from bitmaps. Vectors describe the stores pictures as a collection of objects such as shapes and lines. Each object is defined by its characteristics such as position, line width and pattern. These characteristics are stored as mathematical expressions and displayed on the screen as pixels.

The advantage of a vector image is when the image enlarged or reduced in size it will retain its quality and do not distort. To do this the computer will just change the numbers involved in the mathematical formula. Another reason of using vector images instead of bitmaps is their size. Vector images are usually small files because they only contain data about the curves and shapes that form the drawing.

The disadvantage of vector is the time and talent needed to create it. You cannot reproduce 'continuous tone' photographic images like bitmaps. Vector images are drawn on the computer by a graphic artist using vector editing software such as Adobe Illustrator. As a result, vector graphics are not as cost effective as bitmap images.

As a result, vector images are usable if you have an image that you will be using repeatedly at different sizes. For example, a logo designs, as they can be printed very small on business cards or printed large on a billboard poster. For most other basic jobs bitmaps are a faster and more cost effective way to produce images.

Bibliography

Website

“Vector Graphics”. Andy Harris. (2010). 2012/4/20 <>
“Bitmap / Vector Images”.ne14Design.(2006-2012). UK. 2012/4/23<>
“What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Bitmap Images?” .wiseGEEK. (08 April 2012).M.R. Anglin. 2012/4/19. <>
“Advantages and Disadvantages of Bitmap Images”. Ziara. (2006-2011).2012/4/19. <>V
“VECTOR AND RASTER - ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES”. NISL. (2006). David J.Buckey. 2012/4/22.< >
“The Difference between Vector and Bitmap Images” .Log ants. (2008-2012). 2012/4/22. <>

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay

paradoxsocks

29th of Aug 2012

Quality of writing

The writing is okay but there is quite a large amount of repetition in sentence structure and this detracts from the content of this short essay.

Level of analysis

This is quite a low detail analysis - it brushes the surface of the differences without showing detail or understanding beyond the basic facts or making an major comparisons between the two image types.

Response to question

This short essay covers the question asked but doesn't quite provide a strong enough comparison of the two image formats. It does include the advantages and disadvantages of each but the student could have taken this further by providing a side by side comparison instead of simply stating facts.

Did you find this review helpful? Join our team of reviewers and help other students learn