What are Vector Graphics?

Common question in Live Chat.. so here's some information about those.


Vector graphics are used heavily in web animation, 3D animation, and computer design. Also known as object-oriented graphics, vector graphics relies on shapes to make up larger, complex pictures. These shapes can include, but are not limited to, arcs, circles, lines, and rectangles. Vector graphics is a mathematical formula-based design development image representation protocol.

Unlike bitmaps, which distort and blue when resized, vector graphics maintain the integrity of the picture even when shrunken to a fraction of their size of blown up many times the original size. This is because of the mathematical relationship that vector graphics utilizes that allows the varying facets of the picture to relate to one another.

Most graphics systems that are relatively sophisticated utilize vector graphics in some form of another. CADD systems, animation software, and 3D rendering models all use vector graphics in order to accurately display images that are flexible and maneuverable.

Even though almost all commercial computing output equipment are raster devices – devices that display bit-mapped graphics – high resolution output equipment such as monitors and printers still display vector graphics as more crisp and clear. This is because vector graphics are not transformed into bit maps until the last possible moment, meaning that all specifications of resizing and resolution have been completed. For this reason, vector graphics can be utilized by almost any output device at any size at almost any resolution.

Scalable vector graphics (SVG) is an open standard that was created by the World Wide Web Consortium. Describing two-dimensional vector graphics for use on the web that are both animated and static, scalable vector graphics is an XML markup language. Scalable vector graphics allow for three types of graphic objects: text, digital images/ raster graphic images, and vector graphic shapes, such as geometric designs.

Scalable vector graphics are widely used on newer, dynamic websites that utilize Ajax. Scalable vector graphics enhance Ajax because it provides graphical page elements that surpass those specified by simple CSS and HTML. It is for this reason and its wide spread popularity that many web designers believe that scalable vector graphics are the future of web imagery design and implementation.

We partnered with GoMedia for our vector graphics supplier you can learn more about in my software section called whatelse.. Vector Graphics