File Types & Color Models · Page 2 of 6

Raster files vs. vector files

Every image is built one of two ways: from pixels or from paths.

Raster
- Made of pixels.
- Resolution-dependent: when the image is made larger it becomes blocky, because each pixel gets bigger while the number of pixels stays the same.
- Used for photographs, photo-realistic images and all screen graphics (every screen is made of pixels).
- Adobe® Photoshop creates and edits raster files.
Vector
- Made of paths.
- Resolution-independent: not made of pixels, so it can be scaled very large without losing quality.
- Used for logos and other flat graphics.
- Adobe® Illustrator creates and edits vector files.