This document discusses different types of digital graphics file formats including raster graphics like JPEG, TIFF, GIF, and BMP as well as vector graphics like PSD, AI, FLA, and WMF. It provides information on what each file format stands for, examples of common uses, advantages, and disadvantages. The document also covers topics like compression, different methods for capturing digital images like scanners, cameras, and graphics tablets, as well as optimizing images by reducing size, bit depth, resolution, and compression.

1. Digital Graphics
File Formats
Tom Brett

2. Raster Graphics
Raster graphics are images made up of lots of
bitmaps. Bitmaps are graphics made up of
pixels, each pixel records colour information,
but bitmapped images have a set resolution.

3. Vector Graphics
Vector graphics are made up of vectors which
are also known as paths and strokes.
Vectors/paths are defined by having start and
end points (with curves, angles etc between
them). Vector graphics can be scaled to be
large or small because vectors have no loss in
definition.

4. Raster Graphics

5. JPEG
Stands For Joint Photographic Experts Group
Used For/Example This format is used for most photographs
and are used for web formats. Normally
photos on face book and other social
media are saved as JPEG’s
Advantage You can place the photos on social media
and save them on there.
Most cameras and phone pictures are
saved as JPEG’s.
Disadvantage Looses quality after multiple edits due to
compression and recompression.
Has a set resolution due to being a bitmap
image.

7. TIFF
Stands For Tagged Image File Format
Used For/Example Used for desktop publishing.
Advantage Adobe InDesign documents can have
multiple page documents in one file as a
TIFF.
TIFF files have the option of lossless
compression.
Disadvantage TIFF files have extremely large file sizes.

9. GIF
Stands For Graphics Interchange Format
Used For/Example Used for short digital animations found on
the internet.
Advantage They load quicker than a video file .
Lots of images played after each other in a
loop, meaning you get more from a GIF file
than a JPEG.
Disadvantage Extremely Short.
Bad quality.

11. BMP
Stands For Bitmap Image File
Used For/Example To store bitmap digital images.
Advantage No loss in compression.
Similar to TIFF and JPEG files.
Disadvantage They have large file sizes.

13. Vector Graphics

14. PSD
Stands For Photoshop Document
Used For/Example Image manipulation and post production,
also used for magazine covers.
Advantage Saves layers, formatting information,
swatches etc.
Supports transparency.
Disadvantage Its complicated to use photo shop at first.
You need photo shop to view the image.
Large file sizes.

16. AI
Stands For Adobe Illustrator Art
Used For/Example Logo Creation and graphics to represent a
company.
Advantage Can be scaled to be both large and small
because vector graphics have no loss in
definition.
Disadvantage Even though it is powerful it is really
complicated at the same time.

18. FLA
Stands For Flash File
Used For/Example Used to create animations and games.
Advantage They can produce high quality files but
have a small file size at the same time.
They can include sound and video.
Disadvantage Flash files are difficult to update.
You need to have the right plug-ins.

20. WMF
Stands For Windows Metafile
Used For/Example Similar to AI files so used for logos.
Advantage Similar to AI files so it will be easier to get
used to after previously using a similar file
type.
Can contain both vector and bitmap
components.
No loss in definition due to being a vector.
Disadvantage Not available on OS systems.
Bad quality

22. File Format Capture
and Optimising

23. Compression
Definition Compression is they in which file sizes get
smaller because the information in them
gets reduced.
Advantage There is the ability to create smaller files
to put on the internet or social media.
Disadvantage There isn’t really a win/win situation
because you get a bad quality image when
there is a low file size but large file size
when you want a good quality image.

25. Image Capture
Method Scanner
How is it used for image capture of
graphics
The ability to digitize sketches, photos and
other media products when you don’t
have them on a laptop/computer.
Method Camera
How is it used for image capture of
graphics
You capture images by taking pictures of
the selected subject.
Method Graphics Tablet
How is it used for image capture of
graphics
It allows you to draw sketches on a tablet
using an electronic pen.

27. Optimising
Why would you optimise? You would optimise images so it is easier
to upload them to the internet and is
easier to download them from the
internet as well.
How can you optimise? You can optimise by: Reducing image size,
reducing bit depth, reducing the
resolution and by compressing the images.
Advantage to optimising By optimising an image you can reduce the
file size of an image meaning the there will
be faster upload/download speeds.
Disadvantage to optimising There are certain requirements for
example the images should not be more
than 500 pixels wide.