If, on the other hand, you've ever been on the other side of the fence (i.e. It involves using terms like vector and raster graphics, both of which are terms that will likely serve no purpose other than leaving a bemused look on your clients face. It's at this point that you likely embark upon a long-winded explanation as to why they simply cannot enlarge a photograph of their children (taken on a disposable camera) into a ten foot canvas. Often, clients will come to you with a photograph or perhaps a business logo and depending on the quality and/or format of the file, enlargement might not be possible (due to an extreme loss of quality). For high-accuracy, scalable drawings, vectors are the obvious choice, but for complex, textured images or simple website inserts raster images are the better choice.If you're a graphic designer, there's probably been countless occasions where a client has come to you asking how they can enlarge an image they have, as they want to use it somewhere else. When choosing between vectors and rasters, you must decide what you want to create. Learn more about importing and exporting files in BricsCAD → Which is better? However, BricsCAD also allows you to export to other formats, both raster, and vector! The Communicator for BricsCAD offers even more import and export options. This is the default file type for all drawings in BricsCAD. Raster images Prosįewer options for colors, textures, and shading Bottom right: zoomed-in to the same detail on the raster screenshot. Top right: zoomed-in Vector image in BricsCAD workspace.īottom left: Screenshot of BricsCAD workspace. Top left: Vector image in BricscAD workspace. Vector images are more 'specialist' and are better for technical drawings, images that need to be scaled, high-accuracy plans, logo design, exporting to machines such as CNC, etc. Raster images are more 'typical' and are used primarily for graphical work: photography, print, website images, digital artwork, etc. In reality, the two file formats tend to serve different purposes. Vectors are scalable, and rasters are not - is the short answer. What is the difference between raster and vector? The best resolution for print generally is 300, although sometimes 150 is 'acceptable.” That means any image will be around ¼ the size when printed. The best resolution for screen/digital images is typically 72 dpi. The resolution of a raster image is defined by dpi (dot per inch). Here, the BricsCAD logo has been scaled in raster form notice that the image quality is greatly reduced. This is precisely how a raster image works, but with much smaller squares. Think about old-school video game graphics. That's because it is essentially made from a set of colored squares. If you make a raster larger, it will become 'pixelated' and lose quality. Vector file types:Ī raster image is a specific size. Here, the BricsCAD logo has been scaled in vector form notice that the image quality stays the same. You are simply telling the computer to draw a line between different points. If you draw a square of 1cm by 1cm and scale it by 100, you will have a box 100cm by 100cm that look precisely the same. That means you can change the size to as large or small as you want, and the photo will remain the same quality. What is a vector image? What is a raster image, and what's the difference between a raster and a vector? Keep reading to find out!Ī vector image is scaleable.

Vector vs raster graphics