In technical terms, image-editing programs are designed to work primarily with bitmapped images, and illustration programs are designed to handle vector graphics. Bitmaps are typically used for photographs or painted images. Vector graphics are made up of objects such as shapes, lines, and fonts, which are defined mathematically, not by pixels.
Vectors are better suited to graphics composed of basic shapes, as in a corporate logo.
They tend to be smaller and require less system resources, and they are resolution-independent, so they can be shrunk or magnified with no loss of detail, as the magnified inset shows. This story originally appeared in PC Magazine . ZDNet and ZDNet logo are registered trademarks of ZD Inc. Content originally published in Ziff Davis Media publications is the copyrighted property of Ziff Davis Media. Ziff Davis Media. All Rights Reserved.