What is a vector image?
Bitmaps are created with dots. Lots of dots. In fact, dpi stands for "dots per inch." Put all the dots together and you get a picture. An image.
As you might imagine, it can take a lot of storage space for a large file to store the information about all the dots in a bitmap. Large files also use bandwidth to download and display to the web visitor.
Another problem with bitmaps is that they don't scale up well. If you try to enlarge a bitmap, it starts to look grainy because you see all those dots.
Vector graphics are defined with equations that specify lines, shapes, and locations. Blank space doesn't have to be recorded and the equations are particularly efficient in storing information.
As a result, vector file sizes are usually smaller. Vector graphics are infinitely scalable, either up or down. No matter how big you make your graphic, it always looks perfect. In fact, your graphic may even look better when it's larger because the curves are smoother.
The small size of the files means that a vector image uses less space to store, loads fast and viewers don't have to wait a long time to see your image. Smaller file size also mean you use less bandwidth. |
