Adobe 38039927 User Guide - Page 19

ADOBE FIREWORKS CS3 14 User Guide About vector graphics Vector graphics render images using lines and curves, called vectors, that include color and position information. For example, the image of a leaf may be defined by a series of points that describe the outline of the leaf. The color of the leaf is determined by the color of its outline (the stroke) and the color of the area enclosed by the outline (the fill) When you edit a vector graphic, you modify the properties of the lines and curves that describe its shape. Vector graphics are resolution-independent, which means you can move, resize, reshape, or change the color of a vector graphic, as well as display it on output devices of varying resolutions, without changing the quality of its appearance. About bitmap graphics Bitmap graphics are composed of dots, called pixels, arranged in a grid. Your computer screen is a large grid of pixels. In a bitmap version of the leaf, the image is determined by the location and color value of each pixel in the grid. Each pixel is assigned a color. When viewed at the correct resolution, the dots fit together like tiles in a mosaic to form the image. When you edit a bitmap graphic, you modify pixels rather than lines and curves. These bitmap graphics are resolution-dependent, which means that the data describing the image is fixed to a grid of a particular size. Enlarging a bitmap graphic redistributes the pixels in the grid, often making the edges of the image appear ragged. Displaying a bitmap graphic on an output device with a lower resolution than the image itself can also degrade the image's quality.