The Difference Between Pixel and Vector Graphics

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Tom Wilburg explains Mary that different computer programs use various ways to calculate their own information. It is very important to know which programs work with what kind of display format. Vector graphics usually need less memory than pixel graphics. Normally you can’t handle continuous-tone images with a vector graphic program. Now read the text below.

The difference between pixel and vector graphics

There is a basic difference between pixel and Well-known vector graphic programs are vector graphics. Macromedia Freehand, Adobe Illustrator, and Pixel graphics use a grid of small, square CorelDraw. Exchange formats for vector picture elements (pixels) for displaying graphics are, for instance, EPS (Encapsulated graphics. Each pixel has a particular position PostScript), WMF (Windows MetaFile), and and a particular colour value. The total number MacPICT. These formats are metafiles, that of pixels in an image is always the same. If the means they can contain vectors as well as image is enlarged, the resolution is reduced. bitmaps. Scaleable fonts (Type 1 Fonts, True Then the image often looks “jagged“. If an Type Fonts) are also made from vectors. interpolation is used the image looks smooth Source: ©H. Kipphan, Handbook of Print Media, but not as sharp. Pixel graphics are created in Springer 2001, ISBN 3-540-67326-1 drawing programs such as Microsoft Paint and MacPaint. Vector graphics are created from mathe- matically defined lines (vectors) and curves. The figures below show a comparison of Vectors draw pictures on the basis of their vector graphics and pixel graphics. geometrical characteristics. Vector graphics are not defined by a fixed number of pixels. There- fore they are not dependent on resolution. Pixel Vector During expansion the contours are scaled graphics original graphics without affecting the quality of the pictures or 100 % increasing the quantity of data. Vector graphics are always displayed or printed in the resolution of the relevant output device. Therefore they are suitable for showing sharp contours expanded and details. 200 % Pixel Vector graphics graphics Pixel Vector graphics graphics Englisch-Buch 04.03.2004 17:47 Uhr Seite 13

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Questions about the text 1. Which two pieces of information do you need to describe a pixel? 2. How can you avoid that pixel graphics look jagged?

For experts: reflect on the text 1. Which of the programs on the right are Adobe Illustrator QuarkXPress pixel and which are vector programs? Adobe Photoshop InDesign CorelDraw

2. Both circles are vector graphics. Which one uses more memory and why?

1. 2.

3. This photo should be expanded. What format do you need?

4. Is it possible to display vector graphics in a pixel graphic program? 5. Is it possible to display pixel graphics in a vector graphic program? 6. What could happen with the quality if you have reduced a pixel image? Is the quality the same or is it worse?

All about words

Find the opposites Find the matching words

round enlarge reduction decrease various brief dependent equal increase jagged square smooth expansion reduce independent detailed Englisch-Buch 04.03.2004 17:47 Uhr Seite 14

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Mary gets a CD from a customer while Rosi is in the recreation room drinking another cup of coffee. Mary loads the CD into the computer and finds a file named “brochure.pdf“. XPress is unable to open this file format. She asks Tom how to open it and he explains to her the different kinds of data formats. He also gives her some information about this topic.

Data formats for digital pre-press

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) Advantages: The format offers a very good EPS is actually a page description language compression, especially for photos. The but is also used for describing images. compression will reduce the file size by Purpose: A platform-independent printing approximately 5 to 20 times. format. EPS should not be used for screen Disadvantages: The format uses a lossy presentation because images are not always compression. This means that you will loose displayed correctly. information every time you save the image. Advantages: EPS has been a de facto standard You should not use JPEG as a master copy of within the graphic industry during the last your images. fifteen years. It offers a very good printing quality on PS-printers. EPS is mostly used for storing PDF (Portable Document Format) vector information, which makes small files. PDF is produced by Adobe Acrobat and the Disadvantages: There are sometimes problems format is based on PostScript (PS) format. when printing these files on printers that don’t Purpose: A cross application and platform support the Postscript format. description and publishing format. Advantages: Very good printing quality. A GIF (Grafic Interchange Format) standard in desktop publishing. All informa- GIF is in most cases used for screen presen- tion will be stored inside a PDF. tation. It can also be used as animated GIF. Disadvantages: Only limited options to edit a Purpose: GIF should be used on the Internet if PDF-file. the image only requires up to 256 indexed colours. Images that have more than 256 TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) colours should be saved as JPEG. TIFF is one of the most common formats. Advantages: Most image software can import Purpose: Platform independent format for and export GIF-files. The file format offers photos etc. TIFF has become a de facto- extremely small files. That gives fast download standard for halftone images. and display on the net. Advantages: Platform independent (DOS, PC, Disadvantages: Maximum 256 colours can be Mac and UNIX). The format is supported in stored in the file. That means that there is always almost every image and word processing a quality loss when you use it for photos. software. Disadvantages: Large images require large JPEG (Joint Photographics Experts Group) storage space. And so it takes a long time to You can compress images very much and so it download something from the Internet. is mostly used for large photos. JPEG is the most common format on the Internet. Source: www.formatguide.com Englisch-Buch 04.03.2004 17:47 Uhr Seite 15

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Link the matching boxes Read the boxes placed round Mary. Link the name of the data formats with the matching explanation in the blue box and then connect them with the yellow boxes which describe how these formats are mostly used. For example: GIF This format … It is used…

This format is used for pixel Every computer can read this This data format is based on graphics only. It can be format. It uses indexed colours PostScript code. It can be handled on almost every (up to 256), therefore the file imported into other programs. platform. The information of a size of pictures is strongly The embedded information picture is stored in “tags“. This reduced. It’s used for logos, gra- can’t be changed. Graphics in format needs a large storage phics and images. The content this format can be pixel as space.Therefore, the format of this format can be trans- well as vector orientated. offers a lossless compression parent, animated or interlaced. (LZW). JPEG PDF Joint Portable Photographic Document Based on PostScript, this Experts Group Format This is not only a format but format contains images, also a way to compress. The graphics, fonts and other advantage of this format is the GIF TIFF information. The file size is very Graphics Inter- Tagged Ima- small size of the file because ge File Format small and the quality of the change Format data can be compressed high. data can be adjusted at the There are several compres- output. Additionally, the user sion steps – the higher the EPS can display the file and make Encapsulated compression rate, the greater changes in the document. PostScript the loss of quality.

It is used in several digital Colour and gray level-pictures workflows and it’s established in every size and resolution as a standard for information can be saved in this format. interchange of complex data. It is the most commonly used It hasn’t existed as long as the data format to place pictures other formats. into dtp-programs.

This format is, because of its It’s used for vector informa- The function of this format is small size, mainly used in the tion as well as for image data to display images on the Inter- Internet or in quantity- that is not supposed to be net. The size is small and optimized pre-press work- manipulated by the user. You there are three variants to flows (newspapers). The can store isolated figures, display them. distiller of Acrobat uses this characteristic print lines and HTML uses this format to format for compressing fonts with this format. display pictures and graphics. pictures in a PDF-File.