Vector Versus Bitmap Images

A tale by

Gwen Isaacs

An important thing to know is the difference between vector versus bitmap images. Very often we have asked a client for their logo to be placed on their website/business card/flyer etc only to be sent a low-resolution jpeg image that ends up looking ugly and pixelated when applied to a design. Nobody wants their company logo to be an eyesore, after all, it is an integral part of the businesses identity and a pixelated logo can make a very unprofessional impression. So, here is the difference between Vector and Bitmap:

BITMAP

Bitmap images are the most common type of digital image. Any photographs you take or save from the internet are bitmap images. Bitmaps are made up of pixels of colour set in a grid format. A bitmap image can capture a lot more detail than a vector image and retain a small file size. However, when the image is scaled bigger, it starts losing image quality and begins looking blocky and jagged. It is therefore not ideal to have your logo in bitmap format because you cannot scale it bigger without it pixelating. If you do have your logo as a bitmap, make sure it is a very very high-resolution image (a VERY BIG CLEAR IMAGE) so that it can be used on larger format designs without pixelating.

Bitmap image formats are: *.psd, *.jpg, *.png, *.gif, *.tif, or *.bmp

If you look at the images below, you will see that at its original size, a bitmap image looks perfectly fine. The moment it is scaled bigger, however, it becomes pixellated and blurry. You would definitely not want that to happen to your company logo!

vector versus bitmap

VECTOR

Unlike bitmap images, vector images are defined mathematically by your computer instead of with pixels. They are therefore made up of geometric shapes and curves and usually don’t contain as much detail as a bitmap image. The advantage of vector images is that they can be scaled to any size and never pixelate. It is always good to have your logo in vector format so that it can be scaled up or down to suit any design without losing any detail or quality. So whether you place your logo on a business card or a billboard, it will be crisp and clean at any size.

Vector image formats are: *.eps, *.ai, *.cdr, or *.dwg

If you look at the images below, you will see that at its original size, a vector image looks the same as the above bitmap. Once scaled bigger however you can see the difference. The vector image remains crisp and of high quality no matter how big or small you make it. This is ideal for a company logo that needs to be used on many different sizes and formats.

So now that you know the difference between vector and bitmap, you can make sure that your logo is always looking its best!

vector versus bitmap

Share this: