
When it comes to photographs and certain shaded graphics however, raster images are the better option. Typically in graphic design vector images are more widely used. Even 3D printers read 3-dimensional vector images (.stl files). Common file formats for vector images are. Any image that is produced on a CNC machine like a mill, router, vinyl cutter, or laser engraver is a vector image. Vector images are used for countless applications because of their versatility. A company would make their logo in a vector format because they may want it to be printed small on a hat one day and huge on a billboard the next. When a vector image is enlarged a computer recalculates the image so no quality is lost as is with raster pixel images. Because of this, vector images are infinitely scalable. When a computer looks at a vector image it sees equations that make up the image's structure. When we look at a vector image we see a graphic or clipart. Vector Images are those made up of points, lines, and curves.

When a raster image is enlarged the pixels are enlarged and the image will become blurry, blocky, or pixelated. The more pixels, the higher the resolution or quality. Because they are constructed of pixels the quality of raster images are defined by the number of pixels in an image.

All images created using a camera are raster images, those being constructed of pixels. In industry raster images are used on documents, posters, advertisements, and magazines. Raster images are the more common form of graphics and ones that you are probably used to working with. Raster Images are those made up of a grid or dot matrix of color or pixels. Images, one of the more common forms of media, comes in two different types. In today's world we are surrounded by media.
