Terrill Crawford 

 1. Raster Graphics - is a dot matrix data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium. Raster images are stored in image files with varying formats.

Advantages 

* Raster graphics are great when creating rich and detailed images. Every pixel in a raster image can be a different colour therefore you can create a complex image with any kind of colour changes and variations.

* almost any program can work with a simple raster file. The most recognized application that handles raster graphics is Adobe Photoshop however there are also several other image editing software options out there for you to choose from.

Disadvantages 

* Raster graphics files are often quite large. Raster graphics files contain all the information for every single pixel of the image that you are working with. Each of these pixels has an X and Y coordinate as well as colour information associated with it therefore raster graphics files tend to be very large. Also, because these raster images hold so much data, they may be slower to edit.

* Raster graphics are not great for embroidery. Because raster images are based on square pixels, your embroidery may look like it has jagged edges. If you want to embroider an image with smoother edges, it is best to use vector graphics instead of raster graphics.

1. Vector Graphics - is made up of a series of small points that combine together to make lines and images. The most recognized applications which handle vector based graphics are Adobe illustrator, Macromedia freehand and Corel draw. Vector graphics are generally used for line art, illustrations and embroidery.

Advantages 

* Vector files are small because they contain a lot less data than raster files.

* Vector graphics are more flexible than raster graphics because they can be easily scaled up and down without any loss to the quality of the image.

* Vector graphics have smoother lines when compared to square, pixel-based raster graphics therefore, they are better with straight lines and sweeping curves than raster graphics.

Disadvantages

* If there are small errors or faults in a vector graphic, these will be seen when the vector image is enlarged significantly.

* Vector graphics are generally filled with a solid color or a gradient. They can’t display the lush color depth of a raster graphic.