Raster graphics draw an image as an array of colored dots called pixels . When editing a raster image it is the pixels you re actually working with. Pixels have color depth called bits . Raster images are also called bitmaps . Most of the image formats listed below are bitmaps.
Vector graphics draw an image as lines, polygons and text.
In general, vector graphics take longer to display but can be scaled to any size with no degradation. Raster graphics are faster to display but image quality suffers when they are scaled up or down. This is the format that all Windows desktop wallpaper is in. Most graphic programs, such as Adobe Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro , allow the choice of saving which sub type to save as. BMPs are now capable of 16 million colors.