This document discusses different file formats for digital graphics, including raster and vector graphics. It provides information on common file formats like JPEG, TIFF, GIF, BMP, PSD, AI, FLA, and WMF. For each format it gives the abbreviation, common uses, advantages, and disadvantages. It also covers topics like compression, image capture methods using scanners, cameras, and graphics tablets, as well as optimizing files by reducing size or bit depth to improve download speeds at the cost of potential quality loss.

1. Digital Graphics
File Formats
Ruby Hooper

2. Raster Graphics
Raster graphics are made up of bitmaps and
pixels. Bitmapped images have a fixed
resolution so when resized, the image
becomes pixelated and loses detail and
definition. The most common raster image is a
photograph. Programs like Adobe Photoshop
use raster photographs to create an image.

3. Vector Graphics
Vector graphics are made out of paths, dots and
strokes. They have a start point and an end
point with curves between them. You can
scale a vector to your desired size without
losing definition and detail. Programs like
Adobe Illustrator use Vector Images because
then can change and warp the image.

4. Raster Graphics

5. JPEG
Stands For Joint Photographic Experts Group
Used For/Example Often used on digital cameras or for saving
photographs and in web formats.
Advantage JPEG files are able to keep a high amount
of colours in the image or document while
also keeping the file size small. Making it
easier to view or download these file
types.
Disadvantage JPEG documents lose quality with multiple
edits, this is due to the file being
compressed and then recompressed each
time it is edited.

6. TIFF
Stands For Tagged Image File Format
Used For/Example This particular format is used by many
graphic designers, both professional and
amateur. It is also used by photographers
and people involved with publishing. TIFF
format is often used for image
manipulation
Advantage TIFF has the option to compress the file
and TIFF files don’t lose quality from
compression like many other formats do.
Disadvantage Most things wont open TIFF files and if
they do they tend to take a long time to
view due to the file type being so big.

7. GIF
Stands For Graphics Interchange Format
Used For/Example GIF file types are used for short digital
animations. They are a series of images
that give the illusion of a video. Social
media sites use this regularly and so do
business sites for companies.
Advantage GIF files have a small file size so they can
be used online and they load quickly. They
can also support translucent backgrounds
so can look professional.
Disadvantage They have a colour palette of 256 colours
so the quality can often look poorer than
some images, some GIF files have ‘blocky’
colours causing the file to look pixelated
and distorted.

8. BMP
Stands For Bitmap Image File
Used For/Example BMP files are similar to TIFF and JPEG files.
BMP files support bitmap digital images.
Advantage These files are easy to open and edit, they
also do not lose quality when repeatedly
edited.
Disadvantage As all the other raster graphics, BMP files
are difficult to resize without loss of detail.
BMP files are also very large files so take a
long time to open and work on.

9. Vector Graphics

10. PSD
Stands For PhotoShop Document
Used For/Example Allows the user to work on a piece layer by
layer instead of working on the image as a
whole. PSD files are popular for creations
like front covers of magazines.
Advantage PSD files support transparency, colours
and text, layers are also easy to
manipulate. This file type in particular is
good for designers as they can save the
document into separate pieces.
Disadvantage Very few softwares will open a PSD file and
once the file has been saved as anything
but a PSD the image is compressed into
one single layer so you can no longer revist
the piece and edit layers.

11. AI
Stands For Adobe Illustrator
Used For/Example Often used by companies to create logos
in both print and digital form. AI is also
used to create cartoons of real
photographs, charts, graphs and also
diagrams.
Advantage The pieces created using AI can be sized to
any size required and it does not lose
definition.
Disadvantage Adobe Illustrator is difficult to use at first
and takes a lot of practise. This file type
also rarely opens in any other software
that is not Adobe.

12. FLA
Stands For Flash File
Used For/Example Used to create animation and games, FLA
files can combine video, images and sound
into one to create an aesthetically pleasing
piece of work.
Advantage Flash files produce a high quality piece of
work that have a small file size so they are
quick to view and fast to download. Flash
files can make a website look more
professional and get a message across
quickly and easily.
Disadvantage FLA files don’t work on iPhones or iPads
which are very popular. Heavy amounts of
flash files embedded in a website causes it
to run very slowly.

13. WMF
Stands For Windows Metafile
Used For/Example WMF files are similar to AI files, they are
used to create logos, cartoons, diagrams
etc. Windows Metafile can contain both
vector and bitmap components.
Advantage WMF files can be scaled to the size desired
and they can also be compressed and
revisited without losing any quality.
Disadvantage Many applications will not allowing
viewing or downloading of WMF files
other than Microsoft, when saving WMF
files suggested options to allow viewing
are shown and they are to save it as a TIFF,
JPEG, GIF and a couple of others.

14. File Format Capture
and Optimising

15. Compression
Definition Lossy compression is the way a file is
sized and how they are reduced by
lowering the amount of information that
is saved. The more an image is
compressed the more pixelated it
becomes.
Advantage Compression makes data smaller so it
opens quickly and it is easy to move and
email from one place to another because
there is less data to transfer.
Disadvantage Many data types are not compressible,
this includes images, videos, songs or any
data that has already been compressed.

16. Image Capture
Method Scanner
How is it used for image capture of
graphics
You can digitalise a physical image like
sketches of a photograph.
Method Camera
How is it used for image capture of
graphics
You can accurately and successfully create
a memorable image of what is in front of
you.
Method Graphics Tablet
How is it used for image capture of
graphics
You can control the mouse like you would
a pen, allowing the user total freedom in
their work.

17. Optimising
Why would you optimise? People optimise a file because it makes
the file size smaller which therefore
means it is quicker and easier to view.
How can you optimise? You can optimise by reducing the file size
or reducing the bit depth (which is
changing the amount of pixels used in the
image)
Advantage to optimising Optimising a file allows easier viewing and
transferring. Optimised images also take
less time to download.
Disadvantage to optimising A downfall to optimising is the image may
not be as good quality as it would be if it
had not been optimised.