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Vector files store images as a series of descriptions of simple shapes. It divides the image into lines, rectangles, circles, etc. and describe the positions and colors of all these forms on the page, and then reconstruct the image when you open the file.

There are advantages to using vector files because it has a description a scene that may increase in size indefinitely and still have enough information to maintain a high quality image. Some programs use a format vector by default. All the pictures from PowerPoint in a vector format, as is all Microsoft clip art. Vector images are suitable to put simple images into documents and presentations, but should not be used on websites.

The raster images are analogous to taking a picture. The whole image is divided into a grid of small squares, called pixels, and color for each pixel of the entire image is recorded. This format allows images very complex to be described (including photos) but can produce very large file sizes.

Unlike vector files, you can not enlarge a map file bit without losing resolution. One last point of these two formats is that it is easy to convert a vector file into a bitmap (which is what happens when you look at the screen), but it is rarely possible to convert a bitmap into a vector. In general, uncompressed BMP files, so they are large, the advantage is its simplicity, wide acceptance and use Windows programs.

JPEG or Joint Photographic Experts Group files (filename extension is JPG DOS) suffer degradation generations, when repeatedly edited and saved. The JPEG format is also used as the image compression algorithm in many Adobe PDF files. Advantages JPEG image:
 • Huge compression ratios mean faster download speeds
 • JPEG produces excellent results for most photographs and complex images
 • JPEG supports full color (24-bit "true color") images

GIF or Graphics Interchange Format is limited to a palette of 8 bits, or 256 colors. This makes the GIF format suitable for storing graphics with relatively few colors, such as simple diagrams, shapes, logos and pictures of cartoon style. The GIF format supports animation and is still widely used to provide the effects animation of the image. Advantages of GIF files:
 • GIF is the format most widely supported graphics on the Web
 • GIF schematic images look better than JPEG
 • GIF supports transparency and interlacing

TIFF or Tagged Image File Format is a flexible format that normally saves 8 bits or 16 bits per color (red, green, blue) for 24-bit and 48-bit total, respectively, using the TIFF or TIF file names. The TIFF image format is not a comprehensive supported by web browsers. TIFF is still widely accepted as a standard file photo in the printing business.

PNG or Portable file format Network Graphics was created as the free, open source successor to GIF. The PNG file format supports true color (16 million colors), while the GIF supports only 256 colors. The PNG file is excellent when the image has large areas of uniform color. JPG files are smaller than PNG files. Many of the browsers old currently do not support the PNG file format. However, Internet Explorer 7 and all browsers fully support PNG format.

Sheryl A. Skutelsky is owner of SAS Graphic Design – specializing in small business branding.

For more information on small business branding visit SAS Graphic Design at: http://www.sasgraphicdesign.com

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