Digital Graphics File FormatsYour name here

Raster Graphics

What is a Raster file?A raster is a file that is made up of bitemaps. The graphics are made up of pixels which means the more pixels there are in the graphics the better quality it is going to be. Although the image quality may be good when the image is small, when it is enlarged it will look blurry and less clear.

Vector Graphics

What is a Vector file?A Vector file is a file that is made up of vectors/paths. Unlike raster graphics the image is defined by the start and end points, this means that no matter how much you enlarge or shrink the image, it will always be the same quality.

Raster Graphics

JPEGStands For Joint Photographic Experts Group

Used For/Example They are used to view/upload images on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram and for wed formatting

Advantage JPEG are small so the download speed is faster when it is being downloaded. They can also be seen on multiple platforms so they can be seen by a wide audience.

Disadvantage JPEGS can loose quality when they are saved multiple times due to compression, this makes the image look unprofessional and ’cheap’ looking. They also aren’t good to be used for logo or straight lines as they tend to look jagged

TIFFStands For Tagged Image File Format

Used For/Example These files are used for high quality photos and are often used by photographers. They are used in desktop publishing

Advantage TIFF files do not loose quality when they are compressed so they will always look professional. They can also be recognised on multiple platforms including PC and Mac

Disadvantage Tiff files aren't supported on all webpages so it is difficult for some people to upload them onto there page. The file size is also very large so they can take a long time to download

GIFStands For Graphics Interchange Format

Used For/Example They are often used for short digital animations and are usually seen on the internet.

Advantage A GIF is a small file so it doesn't’t take up much storage on the device it is on. They can also illustrate something more clearly as they are a moving image rather than a freeze frame.

Disadvantage GIF files can have its disadvantages as depending on the internet connection you have the image may freeze and not run as smoothly as they should.(1)

BMPStands For Bitmap

Used For/Example This file type is used for artistic purposes.

Advantage BMP are good as when they are saved no quality is lost during compression. They can also be easily created from pixels that are already existing.

Disadvantage BMP files are usually very large so take up a lot of storage on a device. They also do not scale well. This means that when they are enlarged or shrunk the quality may decrease.

Vector Graphics

PSDStands For Photoshop

Used For/Example These files are used to manipulate images and create new parts to images. They are often used on front covers of a magazine.

Advantage PSD files are good because they can easily be adjusted and have tools on the software to transform a image to make it look completely different.

Disadvantage PSD files can not be put onto the internet so must be converted before being uploaded online. They also have a very large file size so cant be viewed on all platforms or may take a long time to load

AIStands For Adobe Illustrator Art

Used For/Example These files are used to create images such as logo for companies and/or more graphic images.

Advantage AI files can be scaled easily so they can be as large or small as needed. They can also off peoples more artistic sides as they allow more freedom within your work

Disadvantage The software will highlight any faults in peoples work so unless you are artistic the software will not work to your advantage.

FLAStands For Flash File

Used For/Example This is used to create animations or games

Advantage FLA files are high quality but still have a small file size so they are good are very useful. They are also useful because they can have sound or movement so can illustrate things much more clearly.

Disadvantage • Constant updates need to be done in order to make the software work smoothly and correctly

FLA files can have there disadvantages as the software need constant updates in order or it to run smoothly and for all the tools to work to the best of there capacity.

WMFStands For Window Metafile

Used For/Example This file is used to create logo

Advantage WMF files are very useful as they can be scaled up and down without loosing any quality. They can also contain vectors or bitmaps so are customisable to fit the needs of the users.

Disadvantage Although WMF files as useful they aren't always as customisable as they may need to be as they are already made so they may not be exactly what the user needs.

File Format Capture and Optimising

CompressionDefinition Compression of a file is when a file size is

reduced by reducing the information that is saved. This can change the images appearance of the image and decrease the quality.

Advantage By compressing a file the size is also reduced so less storage would be taken up on the device that it is saved on. When they are loaded onto a slow device the lower the file size the faster it will load onto the device.

Disadvantage When compressing the file quality is lost of the image. This means that the more times it is compressed the more pixelated it will come.

Image CaptureMethod Scanner

How is it used for image capture of graphics

A scanner takes a physical object (something hand drawn/ written) and digitalises it so that it can appear onto your devices screen.

Method CameraHow is it used for image capture of

graphicsA digital camera takes a image of of something you want to capture

Method Graphics TabletHow is it used for image capture of

graphicsA graphic tablet allows you to draw onto it and it will then appear on the computer screen. This allows your own drawing or handwriting to be your device.

OptimisingWhy would you optimise? Images are optimised to make sure that

they are easy to view on the internet and to ensure they fully load.

How can you optimise? Images can be optimised in Photoshop by changing the Image size, reducing the bit depth, reducing the resolution or compressing the image.

Advantage to optimising By optimising the image it will load faster when on a webpage and can make user stay on a site for longer due to fast download speed.

Disadvantage to optimising When optimising a image the quality may be lost so the image wont look as clear and colour may also be lost due to a lower amount of bits.

Storage

File SizeWhat could affect a Working Scale (Photoshop) document file size?

Photoshop files are often very large due to the images, shapes and layers that they have.

How could you reduce the file size of a Working Scale document without

affecting quality?

You can change the file size by changing the file format from a PSD to another file format e.g a JPEG

What is an advantage of scaling up images before exporting?

Scaling them up means that when they are saved without any quality being lost during the process.

What is a disadvantage of scaling up images before exporting?

Scaling up the image makes the file size bigger making it a lot harder to send/ upload.

File Naming ConventionsWhat naming conventions could you use when creating your video game assets?

By leaving the name as it default name it will take longer to find the document needed. If you have a image of a dog, saving it as ‘DOG’ you will find it much faster then ‘new document’

Why is it a good idea to accurately name your assets?

You must name them with names that accurately represent what they are. This way you can find them without having to go trough every file and wasting time trying to find them.

Asset ManagementWhy would you use folders when storing

your assets?Folders allow you to clearly see where all your files are. They mean that you can categories everything into different topics and when they are needed you can find them straight away.

What folders would you create and what would you save within them

I would create folders 4 folders for each topic (Print, Photography, Video games, Music Video) and then within them I would make folders for each segment of the topic. I would then give each file saved a useful name so that I can find them easily.

Refernces

1. https://stories4all9858697.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-animated-gifs/