Raster Formats vs Vector Formats

A raster and vector defined:
    A raster can be defined as an image that is composed of a wide arrange of coloured pixels which when placed together in a certain order create an image. This image could range from just a doodle, to a sketch, to even something that a company may want from a Graphic Designer. Many people do not recommend using a raster for creating a logo for, example because when an image is too big or to small it must be re sized. When resizing a raster, the pixels may become blurred and the image loses it's quality. If you were to create a logo using a raster and need one image on a billboard and the other on a business card, you will lose the quality on the image you did not scale to be that size.

    A vector on the other hand is an image composed of lines or 'paths' like in Illustrator that are either straight or curved. A vector must have paths that have a start, and make their way to an end to create a shape. The shape is usually coloured in or completed as a silhouette. Most, if not all Graphic Designers will tell you to use a vector format as apposed to a raster format. If you need to rescale your image from a business card to a billboard, your image will not lose its quality. The image will look the same on the business card than it does on the billboard - just bigger. It's very easy for a graphic designer to use a vector format, especially when the company who you're working for wants a business card, billboard and maybe even t-shirts or sweaters with their logo on it. You can simply re size everything and not have to worry about losing the quality of your work.


The Common uses of a Raster format and Vector format:
  When you take a photo of someone or something and decide to zoom in during editing you may notice the closer you get, the more pixels appear on the image. This is an example of a raster image! Photography - along with raster itself can also be called a bitmap image because of all the tiny pixels it's made out of. Photography files are usually a lot bigger too because of it being a raster. A raster's image are usually bigger since the software must be able to render and keep track of every pixel, which usually means a much larger file. People may also use a Raster as an "OUTPUT file" because it's an image that is mainly only meant for online screen display since fooling around with the size of the image will ruin the quality. The file types of a raster format are: .jpg , .gif , .png , .tif.

  Talking about the uses of a Vector format is a lot easier than explaining the uses for a Raster format simply because more people use Vector as apposed to those who use Raster formats. The biggest usage for a Vector format is for logo creation, whether that is for a clothing company or a car company. Most charts are made using a vector or any hard-edged graphic. A vector can be used as a "SOURCE file" since it can be sent to any printer. Some of the file types for a Vector format are: .ai , .eps , .pdf , .svg. The best part about working with a Vector is that you do not need to worry about quality decreasing when you decide that the image needs to be bigger or smaller based on what the client wants.

The advantages of a Raster and Vector format: 
  The advantages of a raster format is that colour editing is a lot easier than a vector format. Not only is it easier, but there is a lot more options when it comes to editing, which opens new doors and windows for many opportunities and ideas. A raster can also display the natural qualities of a camera, unlike a vector which cannot.

  A vector is "scalable" meaning it can be printed as both a business card or billboard. Majority of vector files are lightweight which leaves room for more storage! More storage means more art!! If you were to increase the size of an image by a great percent, we all know a raster would just turn to blurry pixels. But with a vector, we can be rest assured that our image will stay the exact same no matter how many times we re scale it.

bibliography:

https://designshack.net/articles/layouts/vector-vs-raster-what-do-i-use/
http://pc.net/helpcenter/answers/vector_and_raster_graphics
https://www.psprint.com/resources/difference-between-raster-vector/
https://modassicmarketing.com/understanding-image-file-types