Raster graphics extension. Raster and vector images. Advantages of raster graphics
Raster formats: GIF, BMP, WBMP, PCX, PCD, PSD, FLM, IFF, PXR, PNG, SCT/PICT, PCT, RAW, TIF/TIFF, BMP, JPEG, TGA, FPX, GIF, PhotoCD, MNG, ICO , FLA/SWF GIF In 1987, specialists from CompuServe pulled out all the stops and introduced the world to a new format for storing images in indexed color mode. The GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) format was created by the largest network service CompuServe (now a division of AOL, America OnLine) specifically for transmitting raster images over global networks. In 1989, the format was modified, and its new version was called gif89a. Gif is focused primarily on storing images in indexed color mode (no more than 256); it also supports lossless LZW compression. But the main trick for images in gif format is, after all, reducing them to a smaller number of colors. It goes without saying that this will only happen without consequences in pictures with initially a small number of colors: hand-drawn graphics, design elements, small inscriptions (by the way, to smooth out an inscription in a classic font on a uniform background, 7 to 11 colors are enough, depending on the size). It is used only for its original purpose - on the Internet, since it only supports indexed images. Does not support additional channels, clipping paths, or color profiles. GIF version 89a allows you to save multiple indexed images in one file. Browsers are able to display all these images in turn, resulting in a simple animation. The animation file stores not only the animation frames, but also the parameters for its demonstration. GIF animation, due to its simplicity, is the most common on the Internet. In addition, one of the colors in the palette of the indexed image can be declared transparent. In the browser, the background of the page will be visible through areas of this color. Customizable palette (no more than 256 colors), set transparency of one of the colors, the ability to save with alternating lines (when viewing, every 8th is displayed first, then every 4th, etc. - this allows you to judge the image before it is completely loaded ). Capable of containing several frames in one file with subsequent sequential demonstration (the so-called "animated GIF"). Reducing the file size is achieved by removing unused colors from the palette description and line-by-line data compression (the number of points of a horizontally repeating color is recorded, rather than each point indicating its color). This algorithm gives the best results for images with horizontally extended monochromatic objects. Unfortunately, since 1995, GIF developer Compuserve has made any use of GIF in software products (except free software) chargeable. This leads to the gradual displacement of this popular format from the Internet. We can say that only the ability to contain animation keeps it on the surface. It is used to create advertising banners. JPEG The JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format was the first to implement a new principle of lossy compression. It is based on removing from the image that part of information that is poorly perceived by the human eye. An image devoid of redundant information takes up much less space than the original one. The degree of compression, and therefore the amount of information deleted, is smoothly adjustable. Low compression levels give better image quality, while high ones can significantly degrade it. JPEG is most widely used when creating images for electronic distribution on CDs or on the Internet. The compactness of JPEG files makes this format indispensable in cases where file size is critical, for example when transmitting them over communication channels. It is not recommended to be used in printing, although the format allows the storage of color profiles and clipping paths. JPEG supports grayscale and full-color images in RGB and CMYK models. Additional color alpha channels are not supported. Use the JPEG format only for storing photographic images. In drawings with clear boundaries and large filled areas, compression defects are highly visible. Dirt is especially noticeable around dark lines on a light background and visible square areas. The last defect is due to the fact that the compression algorithm processes images in square blocks with a side of 8 pixels. Millions of colors and shades, non-customizable palette, designed to represent complex photographic images. A variety of progressive JPEG allows you to save images with output in a specified number of steps (from 3 to 5 in Photoshop"e) - first with a low resolution (poor quality), at the next stages the primary image is redrawn with an increasingly better quality image. Animation or transparent color are not supported by the format Reducing the file size is achieved by a complex mathematical algorithm for removing information - the ordered quality is lower - the compression ratio is higher, the file is smaller. The main thing is to choose the maximum compression with minimal loss of quality. In addition to the compression ratio, you also have to make a choice between format types - standard, optimized or progressive. The most suitable format for posting full-color images on the Internet. It is likely that until the advent of powerful lossless image compression algorithms, it will remain the leading format for presenting photographs on the Web. The bad thing is that the quality is lost with each subsequent save. There are three jpg subformats: regular, optimized (the files are slightly smaller, but are not supported by older programs) and Progressive (interlaced display, similar to interlaced in gif). Some applications allow you to store the image as a jpg in CMYK mode and even include clipping paths in the file. However, using jpg for printing needs is strictly not recommended due to the interaction of the regular structure of 8x8 pixel blocks resulting from compression with the equally regular structure of the typographic raster, which ultimately leads to the formation of moire. Two things can be learned from long-term use of this undoubtedly useful format. Firstly, you shouldn’t save everything in it, but only large photographs with a lot of smooth color transitions. And, secondly, in no case should you save the same image in jpg more than once: destructive changes to the image from repeated use of compression are too noticeable. BMP The BMP (BitMap) raster format, created by Microsoft, is designed for use in the Windows operating system. It is used to represent bitmap images in program resources. Only RGB images with a color depth of up to 24 bits are supported. Additional color and alpha channels, clipping paths, and color management are not supported. In principle, the format assumes the use of a simple compression algorithm (Run Length Encoding, RLE) without loss of information, but this option is rarely used due to potential incompatibility problems. WBMP The latest version of Photoshop 7 in the Save for Web module can save images in the Wireless Bitmap (WBMP) format, specially optimized for cell phones, smartphones, PDAs and other mobile devices. A description of this format, along with the WML (Wireless Markup Language) markup language, is included in the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) specification. In addition to Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks 4 and higher can also create WBMP images. The format only supports two colors, but more can be simulated using pixel dithering. In theory, WBMP files can contain animation. Compression is not supported, which is very surprising, since in practice a graphic file for WAP cannot be larger than 1461 bytes (this limitation is due to the small memory capacity of cell phones). Due to the modest resolution of mobile device displays, safe file sizes are limited to 90x24 pixels. In addition to the above disadvantages, WBMP is still quite crude: only a few devices are capable of displaying graphics in this format. PCX The PCX (PC eXchange) format is one of the first raster formats created by ZSoft for the PC Paintbrush program. Supports monochrome, indexed and full color RGB images. Additional color and alpha channels, clipping paths, and color management are not supported. The format involves the use of the simplest compression algorithm (Run Length Encoding, RLE) without loss of information. Nowadays it has mainly historical significance. The pcx format also once raised its palm in primitivism: it is almost as simple inside as bmp. This format has the same capabilities as bmp, but does not support OS/2. But pcx can be viewed with most DOS programs, including the internal Norton Commander viewer. PCD The PCD (Photo CD) format was developed by Kodak for storing scanned photographic images. Scanning is performed on special equipment (Kodak, PIW workstations), and the result is recorded on a special format CD, Kodak Photo CD. It can be viewed using industrial video players and game consoles on a regular TV. In practice, Photo CDs are more often used in publishing technologies as a source of images. Most photo library manufacturers use this format on their CDs. The PCD format has a number of useful features that make this area of application prevalent. A PCD file contains an image in several fixed resolutions at once. Base resolution, 512x768 pixels, used for viewing on NTSC and PAL TVs. In addition, there are lower resolutions Base4, Base16 and higher resolutions 4Base, 16Base and 64Base. The latest resolution, 64Base, equal to 4096x6144 pixels, is only available on Pro Master discs. Interestingly, having six versions of one image in one file does not increase its size. The fact is that high-resolution copies are presented as differences from the base one. This way it is possible to avoid duplication of graphic information. Images on the Photo CD are presented in a special YCC color model developed by Kodak specialists and in many ways similar to the Lab model. YCC also has three basic components, luminance and two chromatic. Because the eye is more sensitive to luminance than to color, half of the color information is discarded during scanning: for every two pixels there is only one chromatic component value. This reduces the amount of graphics data and the size of the PCD file. To further reduce file sizes, a conventional lossless LZW compression scheme is used. There are several Photo CD formats. The Master Photo CD format contains images scanned from regular 35mm film. The maximum resolution for this type is 16 Base. The Master Pro Photo CD format, which uses larger format film (120 mm and 4x5 inches), is addressed to professional photographers. The Print Photo CD format is intended for printing applications. The original is scanned by professional scanners (Crosfield, Linotype, Scitex) and saved with uncompressed 64 Base resolution. The Catalog Photo CD format allows up to 4,500 native resolution images to fit onto one disc. And finally, the Portfolio PhotoCD format is aimed at multimedia applications. A CD of this format can accommodate up to 800 images, as well as sound, interactive scripts, etc. TIF, TIFF The TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) format was created by the combined forces of such giants as Aldus, Microsoft and Next specifically for storing scanned images. images. The exceptional flexibility of the format made it truly universal. TIFF is one of the oldest formats in the world of microcomputers; today it is the most flexible, universal and actively developing. It can store graphics in any mode: from bit and indexed colors to Lab, CMYK and RGB (except duplex and multi-channel documents). Although much time has passed since its creation, TIFF is still the main format used for storing scanned images and placing them in publishing systems and illustration programs. Versions of the format exist on all computer platforms, making it extremely convenient for transferring raster images between them. TIFF supports monochrome, indexed, grayscale, and full-color images in RGB and CMYK models with 8- and 16-bit channels. It allows you to store clipping paths, calibration information, and printing parameters. Any number of additional alpha channels can be used. Additional color channels are not supported. The great advantage of the format is its support for almost any compression algorithm. The most common is lossless compression using the LZW (Lempel Ziv Welch) algorithm, which provides a very high degree of compression. By the way, the same algorithm is used by numerous general-purpose compression programs that support the ZIP format. PSD The PSD (PhotoShop Document) format is a proprietary format of Adobe Photoshop. The only format that supports all program features. It is preferable for storing intermediate results of image editing, as it preserves their layer-by-layer structure. All recent versions of Adobe Systems products support this format and allow you to import Photoshop files directly. The disadvantages of the PSD format include insufficient compatibility with other common applications and the lack of compression capabilities. All color models and any color depth from white-black to true color are supported, lossless compression. Starting with version 3.0, Adobe added support for layers and paths, so the format of version 2.5 and earlier is separated into a separate subformat. For compatibility with it, in later versions of Photoshop it is possible to enable the mode of adding one base layer to the file, in which all layers are merged. Such files can be easily read by most popular viewers and imported into other graphic editors and 3D modeling programs. FLM FLM (Filmstrip) is Adobe Premier's own format, video editing and presentation creation software. IFF The IFF (Amiga Interchange File Format) format is used on Commodore Amiga computers with the Video Toaster hardware and software system. It is focused on creating and processing high-quality video materials in real time. It is also supported by some painting programs on the Windows platform, such as Deluxe Paint from Electronic Arts. The IFF format supports all image types except multi-channel and full-color CMYK. Clipping paths, color profiles, and alpha channels are not supported. PXR The PXR (Pixar) format is intended for interchange with specialized Pixar graphics stations focused on 3D modeling and animation. Only halftone and full-color RGB images with a single alpha channel are supported. PNG Today, the most progressive graphics format for the Web is png (Portable Network Graphics, read “ping”). This ray of light and a unique solution to a bunch of headaches, it allows you to create “transparency zones” like .gif, but in addition can be translucent (the background can shine through it), was, in fact, an attack by independent groups and consortia towards an immensely insolent Ulead company, which in 1995 “hijacked” the popular lossless compression algorithm LZW. Instead of the latter, the Deflate algorithm is used in the png format, which, by the way, gives slightly better results than LZW. Originally intended to replace the obsolete gif on the artificial landscapes of the Web, png offers a whole range of new capabilities, the lack of which in gif has more than once made it the object of impotent abuse. This is a fairly “young” format for Web graphics, competing with GIF. All latest browser versions support it without special plugins. The format supports grayscale and full-color RGB images with a single alpha channel, as well as indexed and monochrome images without alpha channels. The alpha channel serves as a transparency mask. Thus, the PNG format is the only format common on the Internet that allows you to obtain full-color images with a transparent background. The PNG format uses a powerful lossless compression algorithm based on the popular LZW compression. Being a Web-centric format, PNG does not support multi-channel images, color profiles, or clipping paths. There are two subformats: PNG8 and PNG24, the numbers indicate the maximum color depth possible in the subformat. PNG24 finally supports 256 levels of transparency with an additional alpha channel with 256 levels of gray. With this feature, for example, a translucent logo can look the same on absolutely any background. In addition, png is packed with such useful features as two-dimensional interlacing (i.e., the image appears gradually not only in rows, but also in columns) and built-in gamma correction, which allows you to save images whose brightness is the same both on a PC and on Mac, Sun and Silicon Graphics computers. Are you on fire? Me too. Let's cool off together. None of the useful features are supported by any existing browser. PNG8 is not widely used due to weak advertising, it was created specifically for the Internet as a replacement for the first two formats and, thanks to Compuserve's patent policy, it is gradually replacing GIF. Allows you to select a saving palette - gray halftones, 256 colors, true color. Depending on the properties of the image, GIF is indeed sometimes preferable. Allows you to use a “transparent” color, but, unlike GIF, there can be up to 256 such colors. Unlike GIF, compression without loss of quality is performed both horizontally and vertically (the algorithm is proprietary, the parameters are also non-configurable). Does not support animation. Why has such a wonderful and convenient format not become widespread? The fact is that our “most beloved” company Microsoft considered this format unpromising due to the fact that it was not developed by them. SCT The SCT (Scitex Continuous Tone) format is used by Scitex scanners, phototypesetters and graphics stations to produce high-quality printed products. A special format is used by the proprietary Scitex rasterizer. It supports grayscale and full color images in RGB and CMYK models without alpha channels. Clipping paths and color profiles are not supported. Scitex is used exclusively at the stage of rasterizing a mixture of vector and raster data into one bitmap intended for high-end phototypesetting machines from Scitex - it is then saved in this format. You don’t have to trust the service bureau to rasterize the file, but save the layout yourself in the Scitex format. It does not support any compression algorithms. PCT/PICT Pict (Macintosh QuickDraw Picture Format) is an internal format of the Mac operating system, similar to bmp. It is capable of carrying raster and vector information, text and even sound. This amazing format flexibility once again confirms the effectiveness of using the Mac when working with multimedia. The image can be stored in either RGB or CMYK, with color depths ranging from indexed colors to true color; The RLE lossless compression algorithm has been implemented. The pict format is opened by all applications developed for Mac (QuickTime, Photoshop, etc.) RAW The raw format provides a remarkable contrast to the previous format. It doesn't support anything. That is, completely. Even data on the number of channels, color depth and resolution is not stored, so during opening you will have to enter these parameters manually, from memory. The image is simply stored as a stream of pixels with a fixed header, where any text information can later be placed. By the way, you will also have to indicate the size of this header in bytes when opening a picture in this format. Archaism? No! Just a claim to full multi-platform and compatibility with all programs. The claim, by the way, is unsuccessful: not every graphics editor or viewer supports raw. Simplicity brought to the point of complete insanity in the pursuit of compatibility. TGA The rather old TGA (Targa) format was created specifically to work with the TrueVision graphics accelerator. This accelerator is widely used by applications on the DOS platform. The format supports 24-bit and 32-bit RGB images with one alpha channel, as well as grayscale, indexed, and 16-bit RGB images without alpha channels. Clipping paths and color profiles are not supported. The targa (Truevision Targa Image File) format is also respected among DOS programs. It supports color depths from 8 to 32 bits per pixel and uses the RLE lossless compression algorithm. Targa files were often used by the DOS version of 3DStudio Max to store textures. FPX Another format that has not become popular due to weak marketing support is FlashPix. It was developed by Kodak, famous for its PhotoCD format for its attempts to put multiple copies of the same image at different resolutions into one file. FlashPix is no exception to the proprietary rule and also supports multiple copies with different resolutions in one file. A web designer who has never encountered print-quality files may wonder what the point of such wasteful use of disk space is. He is. The fact is that in printing they often work with images that occupy tens or even hundreds of megabytes. Bringing them to the required size takes much more time than simply reading a copy with the required resolution, and the size of the files does not play a role in prepress preparation. FlashPix also has a built-in image protection system using watermarks. The format is quite rare, and few programs can work with it. PXR For the average user, Pixar is just a museum rarity. This is understandable: it is used exclusively on high-end Pixar graphics stations designed for professional 3D animation. Its capabilities are limited: no compression, support only the RGB model and grayscale and one alpha channel. ICO ICO is a format of small pictures (icons) on the WWW. Images are used by browsers to mark Web projects in the URL bar and in favorites. Supported and used by programs for creating icons like IconXP. FLA FLA - internal format of the program for creating interactive animation Flash SWF SWF - Flash publishing format for display on different platforms. MNG is being developed... Vector formats: WMF, EMF, CGM, EPS, WPG, AutoCAD, DXF, DWG, CDR, AI, PCT, FLA/SWF EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) Due to its reliability, compatibility with many programs and platforms and With a ton of customizable options, the eps (Encapsulated PostScript) format is the choice of most printing professionals. It is intended purely for transferring finished images to layout programs; it supports CMYK, RGB, duplex color models and contains ready-made commands for the output device. EPS can store information about trapping, bitmap, embedded fonts, and clipping paths. Data is stored in three ways: ASCII (slow, but most compatible), Binary (fast and compact), JPEG (fast, but lossy and poor compatibility). When saving in eps, you can specify the format and color depth of the sketch, which, to speed up work, will be displayed on the screen in layout programs instead of the large original. PCT Pict (Macintosh QuickDraw Picture Format) is an internal format of the Mac operating system, similar to bmp. It is capable of carrying raster and vector information, text and even sound. This amazing format flexibility once again confirms the effectiveness of using the Mac when working with multimedia. The image can be stored in either RGB or CMYK, with color depths ranging from indexed colors to true color; The RLE lossless compression algorithm has been implemented. The pict format is opened by all applications developed for Mac (QuickTime, Photoshop, etc.) FLA FLA - internal format of the program for creating interactive animation Flash SWF SWF - Flash publishing format for display on different platforms. File formats for printing: TIFF, EPS Graphic file formats for web design: PNG, GIF, SWF, JPG Vector graphics and animation editors: Macromedia Freehand, Macromedia Flash, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Streamline, CorelDRAW, Corel Xara, etc. Raster editors graphics and animation: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe ImageReady, PaintShop Pro, Animation Shop, PhotoPaint, Painter, Image 2000, LViev Pro, Microsoft PhotoDRAW, Microsoft Photo Editor, Microsoft Paint, etc. 3D graphics and animation editors: 3D Studio MAX, Xara 3D , CorelDream 3D, trueSpace, Bryce, World Construction Set, Piasma, 3D VIZ, Organica, Maya, etc. 6 Vector graphics editor Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator CS4 Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor developed and distributed by Adobe Systems. The latest version of the program is Adobe Illustrator CS4. The Illustrator program is actually the world standard in the field of working with vector graphics for printing; most professionals work with this program. The advantage of this program is that, when combined with Adobe Photoshop and PageMaker, they form a set of applications that provide extensive capabilities for developing complex documents and performing layout. Since these programs use similar interfaces, contain a similar set of tools and are designed in the same style, they make it easy to switch from using one program to another and accurately export and import objects between programs. Another important advantage of Adobe Illustrator is its integration with other Adobe design applications: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Flash, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Fireworks, Adobe Flex, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere. All the tools necessary to create a high-quality drawing and its prepress preparation lie “on the surface” of the interface. It should also be taken into account that the program belongs to Adobe, which is the creator of the PostScript language, which determines the maximum possible compatibility of the program with this standard. One of the main features of Adobe Illustrator is its correctness in working with vectors. The program is also known for the quality of its work with colors, and gives the highest probability of correct output on a phototypesetting machine. However, the rendering speed is low: significantly inferior to the speed of Xara Xtreme or FreeHand. This is probably why cartographers and other specialists who work with three-dimensional images, rich in details and containing up to 200 layers, prefer other editors. Features of Adobe Illustrator CS4 Adobe Illustrator CS4 has new features such as: - Using multiple artboards - allows you to save, export and print artboards together or work only with individual areas;
- The Blob Brush tool lets you create single, crisp vector shapes;
- Direct work with gradients, as well as transparency in gradients;
- Color separation viewing prevents color output problems;
- A workspace for color-blind users. Allows you to check the generated graphic to ensure that the selected colors convey information correctly for users who are color-blind. Illustrator CS4 supports testing for both types of red-green color blindness - protanopia and deuteranopia;
- Bleed support - Allows you to configure bleeds for artboards using the new Bleed document attribute.
- Editing the design from the palette and much more.
- The main specialists for whom this program is intended are artists and designers;
- The program is also convenient for use by illustrators of technical books;
- Images created in Adobe Illustrator are easily integrated into multimedia programs (for example, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, etc.), so it is convenient for use by specialists in the production of multimedia products;
- Web designers can also successfully use the program to develop illustrative material, including the ability to create image maps for Web pages;
- For a printer involved in pre-press processes, the program will provide color separation, control of rasterization parameters and production of color separated stripes;
- for Mac OS owners.
<="" img="" height="570" width="513"> Rice. 2.7. General view of the user interface of Adobe Illustrator 10 Program window title The topmost dark blue stripe - the title bar - displays the name and icon of the program, in this case Adobe Illustrator, and also contains three buttons that allow you to control the size and location of the program window. Clicking on the program icon on the left side of the strip displays a window menu (Fig. 2.8). The commands in this menu do not belong to the program, but to the Windows 98/2000 operating system, so if a localized version of the operating system is installed (as in this case), the commands of this menu are also displayed in Russian, even if the original Adobe Illustrator program is used. The list of commands may vary depending on the specific application. Most often, the menu contains commands for working with the program window. They allow you to restore, move the window, resize it, close it, and also switch to another currently loaded program. The left of the three buttons located on the right side of the strip minimizes the program window, leaving only the button in the taskbar of the Windows 98/2000 interface, after which the program goes into a passive state, freeing up some resources (in particular, RAM) for others programs. Clicking the button in the task bar returns the window to the active state. The right one of the three buttons closes the window (the program stops working). If there are open unsaved documents, a dialog box will be displayed for each of them asking you to save. The appearance of the middle button depends on the state of the window. If the window occupies part of the screen (in this case the window can be moved and resized), then by clicking on the middle button you can enlarge it (“maximize the window”) to the size of the entire screen. If the window takes up the entire screen, using the middle button you can restore its size to what it was before it was “maximized”. Main command menu Below the title bar is the main command menu bar (Menu Bar), which offers the following groups of commands: File, Edit, Object, Type, Select, Filter ), Effect, View, Window, Help. Each group is a collection of commands that perform functionally similar actions. For example, the Filter menu includes a significant number of built-in and additional commands that act as filters for images, and the Object menu offers commands for working with selected objects, etc. e. The menu item can be opened in two ways: - Place the mouse pointer on the name of the menu item (for example, File) and press the left mouse button. As a result, a list of commands for the corresponding menu item will open;
- press a key
and, without releasing it, press the letter key that is underlined in the menu name (for example, for the File item - the key ). The result will be the same as when working with a mouse: a list of commands for the corresponding menu item will open.
- you need to place the mouse pointer on the line with the name of the command and click the left mouse button;
- In the list of menu commands, you can move the highlighted area using the cursor keys. When you reach the desired command, press the key
; - after opening the list of commands, you can press on your keyboard the key corresponding to the underlined letter in the command name, for example the Latin key<О>to execute the Open command.
<="" img="" height="503" width="299">Rice. 2.10. Example of a nested menu (submenu) 
<="" img="" height="200" width="270">Rice. 2.11. Displaying the name of the active tool in the status bar Screen image scale The value of the current image scale on the screen is located in the lower left corner of the working window of each document. The range of image enlargement or reduction is enormous: from 3.13 to 6400%. More information about ways to scale an image on the screen is discussed in Chapter 3. Status Bar At the bottom of the working screen there is a status bar (Status Bar), which is designed to display service information, for example, the name of the active tool (Fig. 2.11). When you click the arrow on the right side of the status bar, a list of modes is displayed on the screen (Fig. 2.12). Status bar modes: - Current Tool - name of the active tool;
- Date and Time - current date and time;
- Free Memory - the amount of free RAM and virtual (disk) memory;
- Number of Undos - number of available undoes and redoes of completed operations;
- Document Color Profile - document color profile.
<="" img="" height="112" width="392">Rice. 2.12. List of status bar modes 
<="" img="" height="132" width="255">Rice. 2.13. Sample Palette Context Menu Context Menus In addition to the main menu items and menu items that offer various palettes, Adobe Illustrator provides context menus that can be accessed by right-clicking the mouse. The contents of these menus depend on the currently active tool, the type of selected object or open palette (Fig. 2.13). All commands in the context menu duplicate commands in the main menu or palette menu, but the advantage of using it is the speed of access to these commands and - best of all - their relevance to the current situation. Tool palette By default, on the left side of the working window there is a tool palette (Fig. 2.14), containing all the tools with which you can create, select, edit and move graphic objects. At the top of the palette there is a dark "header" bar. Below it is a decorative logo of the program; clicking on the logo displays the Adobe Online dialog box (Adobe Server) (Fig. 2.15). This dialog box allows you to update the program if you have access to the Internet. This window can also be called by the Adobe Online command from the File menu. Using the Adobe Online dialog box (Adobe Server), you can directly go to the pages of the company's Web site dedicated to the Adobe Illustrator program (Fig. 2.16). When working with certain tools, the cursor takes the appropriate shape, for example, this is how the tools of the Pen group, Pencil group, Paintbrush, Eyedropper, Knife, and Paint Bucket tools behave this way. , Hand and Zoom. 
<="" img="" height="429" width="499">Rice. 2.14. General view of the tool palette with separated groups of tools If these tools require a crosshair cursor (<="" img="" height="9" width="13">), which allows you to more accurately position it on the screen, just press the key when the instrument is turned on 
<="" img="" height="110" width="210">Rice. 2.18.Group of palettes, switching between them is done by clicking on the corresponding tab 
<="" img="" height="36" width="211">Rice. 2.19. Group of palettes in collapsed form In order to separate a palette from a group, you need to grab the tab of this palette and drag the conditional rectangle displaying the dimensions of the palette outside the group. To include a palette in a group, you must also grab the palette tab and drag it within the palette or palette group to which the palette is attached. Double-clicking a palette tab collapses it, leaving only the tabs (Figure 2.19). This is another way of fighting for screen space: the palette is present on the screen, it is available at any time, but it takes up minimal space. At the same time, access to the palette menu is retained. To expand the palette you want, double-click on its tab. When exiting the program, the parameters of the palettes (their location and grouping) are saved. However, after all the changes, it is possible, firstly, to load the program with default palette settings, and secondly, to restore the original settings at any time while the program is running. Each palette also has its own menu of commands, which provide a huge number of various additional functions. To open the palette menu, click the triangular arrow<="" img="" height="16" width="15">) to the right of the tabs at the top of the palette (Fig. 2.20). 
<="" img="" height="211" width="400">Rice. 2.20.Example of a palette with an open command menu 
<="" img="" height="209" width="212">Rice. 2.21. An example of a group of palettes with free access to each individually When combining palettes into a group, they can be displayed on the screen in two ways: - overlap each other, leaving only tabs available at a time (tabbed mode) (see Fig. 2.18);
- positioned in such a way as to provide free access to all fields (docked mode) (Fig. 2.21).
<="" img="" height="135" width="212">Rice. 2.22. Info Palette When working with the Selection tool (<="" img="" height="17" width="17">) the coordinates of the cursor movement (X and Y) appear in the palette. When you select an object using the Selection tool, the palette displays the coordinates of the object's origin (X and Y), as well as the length (W) and height (H) of the object or its overall dimensions. If the active tool is the Zoom tool (<="" img="" height="19" width="20">), then the image scale will be displayed in the palette as a percentage. When moving objects, as well as when the Pen tools are turned on (<="" img="" height="20" width="17">) or Gradient (<="" img="" height="16" width="20">) the palette displays the coordinates of the starting point (X and Y), horizontal dimensions (W) and vertical dimensions (H), distance (D) and tilt angle (<="" img="" height="15" width="14">). With the Scale tool enabled (<="" img="" height="15" width="14">) and the amount of skew (<="" img="" height="15" width="14">). And finally, when working with the Paintbrush tool (<="" img="" height="18" width="22">) cursor coordinates and brush parameters are displayed. At the bottom of the palette there may be an additional field, which is displayed by the Show Options command in the palette menu. This field contains information about the fill (field on the left) and stroke (field on the right) colors of the selected object, hexadecimal color codes, as well as the names of decorative and gradient fills. Nota Bene. If several objects are selected, the palette displays only information that is common to all. Correcting Errors Only those who do nothing make no mistakes. In real practice, even the most attentive and thoughtful user faces inevitable and annoying mistakes. The main remedy for this is the Undo and Redo commands of the Edit menu, which allow you to undo or repeat one or more previous operations. Adobe Illustrator allows up to 200 such undoes (redos), and the program has an interesting property: undos can be performed after the Save command, if you do not close the file. Such amazing capabilities may however be limited by the amount of RAM available. If this happens, a corresponding message is displayed on the screen. By default, the minimum number of failures is set to 4. This value can be changed in the Undo field (Figure 2.23) of the Units & Undo section of the Preferences dialog box, which is called up by the Preferences command. Edit menu. 
<="" img="" height="248" width="400">Rice. 2.23. Undo field of the Units & Undo section of the Preferences dialog box Restoring a previous version of a document One of the radical ways to correct errors is to return to the last saved version of the document. A reasonable strategy for consistently preserving intermediate stages of work allows you to reduce possible “rework” to a minimum. To restore a previous version of a document, use the Revert command from the File menu. Nota Bene It should, however, be taken into account that this command cannot be refused, which means that it will no longer be possible to turn to the saving Undo command. Using additional modules Additional modules (plug-ins) are special subroutines developed by Adobe Systems itself or other companies and designed to expand the capabilities of the main program. When installing the program, a set of included additional modules is automatically included in the Plug-ins folder. If you change the plug-in folder, you must make the appropriate setting in the Plug-ins Folder field of the Plug-ins & Scratch Disk section of the Preferences dialog box, which is called up by the Preferences command of the Edit menu (Edit). If the user has a need or need to independently create an additional module for the Adobe Illustrator program, then he should contact the Web site at http://www.adobe.com /supportservice/devrelations/main.html or the Adobe ADA Developers Association (Adobe Developers Association - Adobe Developers Association) by email [email protected]. Creating, opening and closing documents A new document can be created at any time, as well as any existing document can be opened at any time. 
<="" img="" height="254" width="382">Rice. 2.24. New Document Dialog Box To create a new document, you must execute the New command from the File menu. The New Document dialog box appears on the screen (Fig. 2.24), in which you can define the following parameters: - an arbitrary document name in the Name field; by default, the name Untitled is suggested - with a serial number. The user has the right to accept this name or enter any other;
- color model: The Color Mode field offers CMYK Color and RGB Color switches. For information on working with color, see Chapter 7;
- document page size: in the Artboard Setup field, you can define its width (Width field) and height (Height field) or select it from the Size list. In the Orientation field, two buttons allow you to visually determine the layout of the page: portrait or landscape.
- Points;
- Millimeters (Millimeters);
- Picas (Peaks);
- Centimeters;
- Inches (Inches);
- Pixels.
- The File menu's Save command saves the current document under the same name, in the same folder, and in the same format; in other words, new information is saved to replace what was previously saved.
- The Save As command allows you to save the current document under a different name, in a different folder, and even in a different format. When you save a new document or execute this command, the Save As dialog box appears on the screen, which allows you to give the document any name, select the desired folder, and set one of the available formats.
- The Save a Copy command in the File menu is used to save a copy of the current document by appending the word “Copy” to the file name. For more information on saving documents in various formats, see Chapter 13.
- The General section defines settings for tools and many other general settings.
- In the Type & Auto Tracing section, you set the parameters for working with the font and auto tracing parameters.
- In the “Units & Undo” section, “the units of measurement for the measuring rulers and for the font are set, as well as the maximum number of rollbacks of executed commands.
- The Guides & Grid section defines the parameters of the guide lines and grid.
- The Smart Guides & Slices section specifies the parameters of dynamic guides intended for aligning objects, and image fragments (slices) intended for placement on Web pages.
- The Hyphenation section defines a hyphenation dictionary and generates a list of exceptions.
- The Plug-ins & Scratch Disk section specifies scratch disks for storing temporary information and the location of additional modules.
- The Files & Clipboard section sets how files are updated and vector paths are transferred through the Clipboard data clipboard.
- The Workgroup section defines the conditions for collaboration with workgroup documents, in particular, the conditions for opening documents.
- The File menu contains the Exit command, the execution of which closes the program. If there are unsaved documents, a request is displayed for each document separately;
- you can use the keyboard equivalent of the Exit command - a keyboard shortcut
+ ;
- using a key combination
+ You can close any active program running in the Windows operating environment, including Adobe Illustrator.
An example showing the difference between raster and vector graphics when enlarged.
Raster images do not scale well, while vector images can be enlarged indefinitely without loss of quality (images have been converted to SVG for display on this page).
Raster image- an image that is a grid of pixels - colored dots (usually rectangular) on a monitor, paper and other display devices.
Important image characteristics are:
Raster graphics are edited using raster graphics editors. Raster graphics are created using cameras, scanners, directly in a raster editor, as well as by exporting from a vector editor or in the form of screenshots.
Encyclopedic YouTube
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✪ What are raster and vector graphics?
✪ Lesson 2. Differences between raster and vector graphics.
✪ Photoshop and Illustrator difference. Difference between vector and raster graphics. Photoshop and Illustrator.
Subtitles
Advantages
- Raster graphics allow you to create almost any drawing, regardless of complexity, unlike, for example, vector graphics, where it is impossible to accurately convey the effect of the transition from one color to another without loss in file size;
- Prevalence - raster graphics are now used almost everywhere: from small icons to posters;
- High speed of processing complex images if scaling is not needed;
- Raster representation of an image is natural for most graphic input-output devices, such as monitors (with the exception of vector output devices), dot matrix and inkjet printers, digital cameras, scanners, and cell phones.
Flaws
- Large file sizes for simple images;
- Impossibility of perfect scaling;
- Inability to print on a vector plotter.
Because of these shortcomings, it is recommended to use vector graphics instead of even compressed raster graphics to store simple drawings.
Formats
Bitmap images are usually stored in compressed form. Depending on the type of compression, it may or may not be possible to restore the image exactly as it was before compression (lossless compression or lossy compression, respectively). Also, additional data can be stored in the graphic file: about the author of the file, the camera and its settings, the number of dots per inch when printing, etc.
Lossless compression
Uses compression algorithms based on reducing information redundancy.
- BMP or Windows Bitmap - usually used without compression, although it is possible to use the RLE algorithm.
- GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a legacy format that supports no more than 256 colors at a time. Still popular for its support for animation, which pure PNG lacks, although software is starting to support APNG.
- PCX is an outdated format that allows for good compression of simple drawn images (when compressing, groups of consecutive pixels of the same color are replaced with a record of the number of such pixels and their color).
- PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a raster format based on the Deflate compression algorithm.
- JPEG-LS in lossless compression mode - the algorithm uses adaptive prediction of the value of the current pixel from an environment that includes already encoded pixels.
- Lossless JPEG is a fast but ineffective compression algorithm that uses (when traversing the image pixel by pixel from left to right, top to bottom) a simple non-adaptive prediction of the value of the current pixel based on the values of the top, left and top left pixels.
Lossy compression
It is based on discarding part of the information, which is usually least perceived by the eye.
- JPEG is a very widely used image format. Compression uses dividing the image into blocks, quantizing the spatial spectral components in each image block, and then entropy encoding them. When examining a highly compressed image in detail, blurring of sharp boundaries and characteristic moire near them are noticeable. At low compression rates, the restored image is visually indistinguishable from the original one.
Miscellaneous
- TIFF supports a wide range of color depths, different color spaces, different compression settings (both lossy and lossless), etc.
- Raw stores information directly obtained from the sensor of a digital camera or similar device without applying any transformations to it, and also stores camera settings. Allows you to avoid loss of information when applying various transformations to an image (loss of information occurs as a result of rounding and pixel color going beyond the permissible values). Used when shooting in difficult conditions (low lighting, inability to set white balance, etc.) for subsequent processing on a computer (usually in manual mode). Almost all semi-professional and professional digital cameras allow you to save RAW images. The file format depends on the camera model; there is no single standard.
Story
The first computers did not have separate means for working with graphics, but were already used to obtain and process images. By programming the memory of the first electronic machines, built on a matrix of lamps, it was possible to obtain patterned pictures.
In 1961, programmer S. Russell led the project to create the first computer game with graphics. The creation of the game “Spacewar” (“Space Wars”) took about 200 man-hours. The game was created on a PDP-1 machine.
In 1963, American scientist Ivan Sutherland created the Sketchpad software and hardware system, which made it possible to draw points, lines and circles on a tube with a digital pen. Basic actions with primitives were supported: moving, copying, etc. In fact, it was the first raster editor implemented on a computer. The program can also be called the first graphical interface, and it was such even before the term itself appeared.
In the mid-1960s. developments in industrial computer graphics applications appeared. Thus, under the leadership of T. Moffett and N. Taylor, Itek developed a digital electronic drawing machine. In 1964, General Motors introduced the DAC-1 computer-aided design system, developed jointly with IBM.
In 1968, a group led by N. N. Konstantinov created a computer mathematical model of cat movement. The BESM-4 machine, executing a written program for solving differential equations, drew the cartoon “Kitty,” which was a breakthrough for its time. An alphanumeric printer was used for visualization. Computer graphics experienced significant progress with the advent of the ability to store images and display them on a computer display.
Hi all. And so, computer graphics... Each of us takes part in the development of computer graphics, using graphic editors, but some do not even suspect it. It is the types of computer graphics that we will talk about today.
There are currently 4 types of computer graphics. Who knows, maybe this is not the limit, because progress does not stand still.
But in this article, we will talk about raster graphics in more detail.
Raster graphics are
all images obtained from photo or video cameras, or scanned. Therefore, raster graphics are intended primarily for editing images, rather than creating them. There are many different programs for working with raster images, but the leader is the well-known Adobe Photoshop program, which we will talk about in the following articles and analyze its work in detail.
Raster image- is a grid of pixels or colored dots (usually rectangular) on a computer monitor, paper and other display devices and materials (raster).
The main element of raster graphics is the dot. If the image is on-screen, then this point is called a pixel.
Pixel, pixel(Sometimes pel, English pixel, pel- abbreviation for pix el ement, in some ist. piс ture cel l- lit. image element) or Elise(rarely used Russian version of the term) - the smallest logical element of a two-dimensional digital image in raster graphics, as well as the [physical] element of the light-sensitive matrix (sometimes called sencel- from sens or el ement) and an element of the matrix of displays that form the image. A pixel is an indivisible object of a rectangular or round shape, characterized by a certain color. A raster computer image consists of pixels arranged in rows and columns.
The quality of a raster image depends on the resolution - the number of dots per unit of length (dots per inch - dpi or number of pixels per inch - ppi). Each point has its own characteristics: placement, color and shades. Raster graphics images take up a large amount of data, so they require a lot of hard disk space for storage and a lot of RAM to work with it.
When editing raster graphics, the pixels themselves are directly edited, because the dimensions of the grid itself remain unchanged. Please note that when editing such images, quality may be lost due to increasing the image size. This can be explained quite simply, because... you increase the size of the grid itself, but the number of pixels remains the same, they simply increase in size and the image turns into a mosaic. Even when you reduce or rotate the image, the quality is partially lost and small details may be lost. This process is called pixilation, and it means that raster images do not handle scaling well. And when adding additional pixels, the sharpness of the image is lost, because colors for new pixels are distributed among existing ones.
Quality is also characterized by a large number of image shades, which are set for each point. The more shades an image is characterized by, the more digits are required to describe them. Red could be color number 001, or it could be color number 00000001.
Drawing a conclusion from the above, we can say that raster graphics have both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:
- Versatility. Raster graphics allow you to both view and edit absolutely any image, of any complexity and quality.
- The most popular. Almost all images that are now used from logos to large-scale graphic projects. Used for all input/output devices, because most naturally transmits graphic information (monitors, mobile devices, printers, scanners, digital cameras)
- High resolution and image quality. They are perfectly edited without loss of quality, if you do not use scaling.
The disadvantages include:
- The size of the graphic images is too large, making it difficult to store a large number of raster graphics objects.
- Loss of quality when scaling an image. This significantly affects the quality of printed and printed products. Small details and shades of graphics are lost.
- There is no possibility of outputting to a plotter for printing.
Basic programs for working with raster graphics:
- — leader among vector graphics editors
- Fractal Design
And finally, the largest graffiti in the world.
Vector formatsVector format files are especially useful for storing linear elements (lines and polygons) as well as elements that can be decomposed into simple geometric objects (such as text). Vector files do not contain pixel values, but mathematical descriptions of image elements. Based on mathematical descriptions of graphic forms (lines, curves, splines), the visualization program constructs an image.
Vector files are structurally simpler than most raster files and are usually organized as data streams.
Examples of the most common vector formats are AutoCAD DXF and Microsoft SYLK.
WMF. This is a vector format used by Windows graphics programs. This format is used to transfer vector images via the clipboard in the Windows environment. This format is accepted by almost all programs that work with vector graphics. This format cannot be used for raster images. Disadvantages: color distortion and failure to save a number of parameters that are set for images in graphics programs.
AI. Illustrator internal format. It can be opened by Photoshop and, in addition, this format is supported by all programs related to vector graphics. This format is the best way to transfer vector images from one program to another. Raster graphic elements are lost in most cases when transmitted via AI format.
CDR. This is an internal format of the Corel Draw program. This format is very popular, as is the software package itself. Many programs can import vector files into Corel Draw formats. The CDR format also contains raster graphic objects. This format uses compression, and different compression is applied to vector and raster files.
Metafile formats
Metafiles can store both raster and vector data. The simplest metafiles resemble vector files; they contain the language or syntax for defining vector data elements, but may also include a raster representation of the image. Metafiles are often used to transport raster and vector data between hardware platforms, as well as to move images between software platforms.The most common metafile formats are WPG, Macintosh PICT and CGM.
It was last Friday, but it was not possible to write a Friday post under N3. The reason is banal - lack of free time due to the housing issue and a number of other problems. But this Friday there will be a photo for sure. It already exists and was ready for publication yesterday, but I still decided to spend my free evening time on renovation work in the apartment. Therefore, if you haven’t watched it, be sure to watch it and cheer yourself up.
Let's return to the topic of the post, or rather to the question, what picture formats are there? In general the word "picture" I don't like it in relation to photography. But this is exactly how this question sounds very often, so I decided to leave everything unchanged. I'll just make one clarification. Since a photograph is a raster image, this post will only talk about raster graphics formats.
At all graphic formats— a set of rules for processing received graphic data for the purpose of their further storage or editing. As they say in the lines of V. Mayakovsky “All professions are needed, all professions are important”... The same can be said for image formats.
The developers offer a lot raster formats, intended for storing files. Among the most frequently used are the following: BMP, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, PSD, ICO.So, let's look at some of the pros and cons, as well as the scope of application of the listed raster image formats.
Raster image formats
BMP-(abbreviation for Bit Map image) represents standard raster format and has a universal purpose. It is supported by most graphics editors, including the fairly common one Paint. Initially, coding in it was performed in the simplest way, using . But this turned out to be wasteful, since each pixel was represented by only one byte. Consequently, only 256 colors became available, which significantly limited the ability to transmit images. Subsequently, it was improved somewhat. Bit Map image almost optimal for storing data and sharing it with other similar applications. But, at the same time, it takes up too much memory space, since it is necessary to save the encoding of all image points. File BMP does not support animation and interlacing.
TIFF— (from Tagged Image File Format)– universal for publishing systems and topographic graphics. Such raster image formats provide high quality printing. They were created to support almost all programs designed to work with bitmap files, so they are compatible with all platforms. Widely used TIFF in printing and publishing. Files (scanned images, illustrations, faxes, etc.) with the extension .tif stored in this powerful format for later color printing, although monochrome printing is also available - in views CMYK And RGB. It is not used for publishing pictures on a computer network or when creating websites, because it is quite large in size. It is also unsuitable for animation.- GIF— (according to the first letters of Graphic Interchamge Format)serves for storageraster images in graphicsand for sharing them. It is one of the “oldest” on the Internet and has been in circulation for a long time, despite the fact that it uses indexed colors (in a limited set). Files with the extension.gifwidely used in the design of Web sites. Among the main advantagesGraphic Interchamge Format It is worth mentioning that the appearance of the image does not depend on the underlying platform or the type of browser, and compression occurs without loss of information. This format displays high-quality drawings with a small amount of uniform colors, drawings, transparent pictures and animation.GIFsmall in size, so it loads quickly, which is important when creating HTML pages. But still, the format has a significant drawback - it has a small range of colors, which limits its capabilities when storing images that have smooth transitions.
JPEG— (abbreviation for Joint Photographic Expert Group) helps get rid of the flaws that arise when creating and saving images in GIFs. This uses a compression method for photographs or other images. These raster graphics file formats are the most common when storing multi-color pictures. Compressing images (they are stored in files marked .jpg) is performed in a smooth mode, which ensures a high degree of processing and reduces data loss. On the hard drive in JPEG It’s convenient to save a significant number of pictures, in particular large photographs with smooth transitions. This allows you to significantly save disk space. Also using JPEG It is possible to publish photos of quite acceptable quality on a computer network. But it should be taken into account that during compression some of the data is lost, and when saving the same image again, the chances of irreversible loss of information increase. In this regard, the situation is greatly improved by the improved version of the format - JPEG 2000. True, it is not supported by all browsers, which slows down its spread.
PNG— (portable network graphics) allows you to store raster graphics in a lossless compressed form, and the files are smaller in size than GIF. In format PNG Almost any color, as well as transparency, is available. This circumstance opens up wide possibilities in web design. Now it is constantly popular because it is compatible with all platforms, supports interlaced display, has a significant color gamut, and supports animation.- Domestic PSD raster graphics formats (short for PhotoShop Document) are intended for program packages. They support all types of images, as well as their layers during processing. Saved in files marked with extension .psd.
There are others raster graphics formats, which were not discussed in the article, but you can write about them in the comments, without forgetting about the competition!
