Digital Graphics

File Formats
Your name here
 Raster Graphics
Give a definition of Raster Graphics
Raster graphics are made up of bitmaps. Bitmaps are a graphic made from
pixels. Each pixel that there is records a colour or information of that section
of the image. Bitmaps have fixed resolutions which means when resizing it
can cause it looking pixelated. Most images that you will see on your
computer or photos you find on Google will be raster graphics even the
photographs that you import from your camera. These are made up of pixels
that can sometimes be referred to as a bitmap. The larger your image is the
more disk space that your image will take up. An example of this is that a
640x480 image requires the information to be stored fro 307,200 pixels. But
then a 3072X2048 image but also from a 6.3 megapixel camera will need the
storing information of 6,291,456 pixels. Because raster graphics need to
store a lot of information it means large bitmaps require large file sizes.
Raster graphics can be scaled down without losing quality but when you
enlarge a bitmap the image causes it to look blocky and pixelated.
Vector Graphics
Give a definition of Vector Graphics
Vector graphics are made up of vectors. Which can also be known as paths
and strokes. Vectors are defined by a start and an end points which curves,
points and angles between them. From this information the path can then
become a line, square, triangle of a curvy shape. Vectors can also be scaled
big or small and the vector will not lose definition. Which can be perfect for
company logos as they can be then small on a business card or big on a
billboard. Vector graphics are not made up of a grid of pixels like raster
graphics but comprised of paths. Which are then defined by a start and end
point along with other points. Vector based images are not made up of a
specific number of dots so you can scale to a larger image and not lose any
of the images quality. As when you blow up a vector image the edges of each
object will stay smooth and clean.
Raster Graphics
JPEG
Stands For Joint Photographic Experts Group

Used For/Example Digital cameras and other

photographic image capture devices.

Advantage JPEGS are for photographs and

realistic images. But also with images
with a lot of colours as if can store
the information but is not good as
much when the photographs contain
texts it wont have as good as quality.

Disadvantage A JPEG can lose quality after multiple

edits due to compression and
recompression each time the JPEG is
edited.
TIFF
Stands For Tagged Image File Format
Used For/Example A TIFF file can be saved in different colour
formats but also in various forms of
compression. TIFFS also used lossless
compression so that they can maintain
image integrity and also clarity. Which is
why TIFF files can often be used by
photographs.
Advantage Adobe InDesign documents when saved as
TIFFs can save multi page documents to
just a single TIFF file. Also a TIFF file can
not lose quality due to compression.
Disadvantage Since with TIFF files dont lose quality it
means that generally TIFF files are quiet
large. Especially uncompressed TIFF
images they can even take up more space
then a JPEG. Which means that a digital
camera will not be able to save too many
TIFF files.
GIF
Stands For Graphics Interchange Format
Used For/Example This can be used to create short
digital animations. Its used to store
multiple bitmap images in just a
single file. A GIF is one of the most
widely used format for storing
multibit graphics and image data.
Advantage A GIF file can have small file sizes
which means that they can be used
easily and can load quicker and still
have good quality.
Disadvantage Once the animated GIF has been
coded into the actual file or image of
a GIF. There is not a way that you
could go bac and edit the image. To
do this you would have to start all
over again
BMP
Stands For Bitmap Image File
Used For/Example BMP is used for images that are often
printable images.

Advantage A BMP can store colour data for each

pixel within the image without
compression. Also with a BMP file
they are supported by virtually nearly
every device.
Disadvantage Because BMP files dont compress it
means that they create rather large
files. It also lacks all other feature of
the other formats.
Vector Graphics
PSD
Stands For Photoshop Document
Used For/Example PSD file is used so that you can still
manipulate your image even after
you have saved it as a PSD file due to
saving all the layers.
Advantage When you save your file as a PSD it
saves all the layers that you have
made on the image. So that when
you re-open the document you are
still able to work on them layers. So if
you want to go back and make any
changes you can.
Disadvantage When you do save it as a PSD file
though you cant open it unless you
have Photoshop. For example if you
were to send someone a file saved as
a PSD and they dont have Photoshop
they wouldnt be able to access it to
see it.
AI
Stands For Adobe Illustrator Art
Used For/Example AI is used for logo creation as you can
scale it big or small depending on
what you are wanting the logo for.

Advantage The images can be scaled bigger or

smaller without losing definition. So
your images have a high quality look
no matter what size you want them.

Disadvantage It can take a long time to master the

skills and find out what each different
tool does. So even before you start
using it fully its a god idea to learn
all the tools before hand.
FLA

Stands For Flash File

Used For/Example A FLA file is used to create animation
and gams.

Advantage An advantage to FLA is that you can

produce high quality file but with a
small file. But it can also include
sound and video.

Disadvantage Flash files can often be quite large

but also cant be seen unless you
have Flash Player installed.
WMF

Stands For Windows Metafile

Used For/Example WMF files are similar to AI files. It can
be used for creating logos due to the
fact it can be scaled big or small due
to vectors have no loss in definition.
Advantage When you save images as WMF they
can be scaled to be bigger or smaller
and have no loss of definition.

Disadvantage Only a few applications support this

file type. Its mainly Microsoft Office
applications that will allow this file
type.
File Format
Capture and
Optimising
Compressi
on
Definition Compression is the size of your
files and the amount of
information that is actually being
saved within that file.

Advantage If a website was to have a lot of

images on the website and they
were to compress all their images
it would mean the website would
open up a lot faster.

Disadvantage Your image can become more

pixelated the more that you
compress your image. As each
type they will save smaller
amounts of the colour you have in
your image each time.
 Image
Capture
Method Scanner
How is it used for image capture With a scanner you can digitalise
of graphics physical images. Meaning you are
able to keep things like old images
safe. But also if you wanted to say
edit a physical image by then
scanning it in you are able to do this.

Method Camera
How is it used for image capture With a camera your able to take
of graphics pictures of anything.

Method Graphics Tablet

How is it used for image capture
of graphics
With this you are able to draw
straight onto the computer rather
then drawing it on paper and then
scanning it in. It allows you to use a
pen like a mouse allowing more
Optimising
Why would you optimise? Images on the internet that have been
optimised will ensure easier viewing when
on the web. Images that haven't been
optimised have a larger file size meaning
more pixel information meaning
downloads can take a lot longer. So
optimising can really help having a smaller
file size and making downloads go quicker.
How can you optimise? Images can be optimised by reducing the
image size or bit depth. Bit depth is the
amount of bits used when regarding the
colour of each individual pixels. You can
also reduce the resolution meaning the
amount of pixels you have within the
image. Then lastly you can compress the
images.
Advantage to optimising You can optimise a image which means
that you will make the file type smaller,
which also means it downloads faster.
Disadvantage to optimising Optimising an image will educe the
amount of pixels until your image is no
more then 500 pixels wide .
Storage
 File Size
What could affect a Working The amount of layers that you could
Scale (Photoshop) document file have within your document could
size? affect your document size. As each
layers contains its own of information.
So on top of one another it could
affect the size.
How could you reduce the file To reduce the size of the working
size of a Working Scale document scale document you can flatten the
without affecting quality? image so that all the layers merge
together. So therefore you dont have
all the other pieces of information
only the one.
What is an advantage of scaling Scaling images up before you export
up images before exporting? them can allow you to the resize
them without losing quality. But also
makes resizing a lot easier.
What is a disadvantage of scaling When you do scale up images it can
up images before exporting? make the file size much easier
making the imager then harder to
send but also publish.
File Naming Conventions
What naming conventions could Naming a file means it easier to
you use when creating your video remember its also good to keep the
game assets? file name simple is a good option.
Leaving a file named default or new
document can be a bad idea as can
lead to confusion and not knowing
what file is which.
Why is it a good idea to Its a good idea to accurately name
accurately name your assets? your assets as then its easier to find
what you need easily and faster.
 Asset Management
Why would you use folders when
storing your assets?
What folders would you create
and what would you save within
them
Folders can help you with organising
your things and different files. Its
then easier to find exactly what it is
you want.
I would create one main folder for
each project or course I did. So that I
knew where things were kept and if I
needed something from a specific
subject I knew which folder to go in.
But then. Within the one main folder I
would have more folders with every
different little part of the subject.