Investigating Graphic File Formats

and Applications

Common Formats
Raster
A raster graphics image 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.

A bitmap, a single-bit raster, corresponds bit-for-bit with an image displayed on a screen, generally in
the same format used for storage in the display's video memory, or maybe as a device-independent
bitmap. A raster is technically characterized by the width and height of the image in pixels and by
the number of bits per pixel (or color depth, which determines the number of colours it can
represent).

Compression
Data compression is when techniques are used to reduce the file size of an image so it allows it to be
stored on to a smaller memory device.

Lossy
Lossy file compression is a process of storing a digital file
such as a digital picture under the file format JPEG,
some of the data is discarded, giving the image a lower
resolution therefore making the file size smaller. Each
time you open and resave a Raster image with the lossy
compression process it will break down the image. The
amount of data reduction possible using lossy compression is often
much higher than through lossless techniques.
Lossless
Lossless file compression is a process where an image is saved
under the file format of ZIP, the image is broken down into
individual parts to allow easier storage of the file. When the file
is reopened due to the fact that the lossless technique has been
used, it allows the user to recreate the original file exactly with
no data loss from the image.

Original Compressed
Lossy and Lossless comparison
Example of Lossless Compression
The difference between lossy and Lossless compression is that lossy
decays the quality of the digital file, whereas Lossless compression
deconstructs the image into smaller parts and once reopened
restores the image to the exact original image.

The pros of lossy compression is the fact that the overall file size
after compression will be a lot smaller than the original size as Image of simplified process of
there is data from the file being discarded. This makes a lossy both compression methods.

compression a good method to use for images on a website as the file size will be smaller. The cons of
lossy compression is that the more times you open the image in say an editorial program and resave
the image with lossy compression it will decay the image therefore breaking down the quality of the
image each time.

The pros of lossless compression is that no matter how many times you reopen the image the quality
will not decay and will stay exactly the same as there is no data
from the image being discarded, so you then get a better outcome
from the compression. Cons of lossless compression would be
because of the fact there is no data lost from the original image
the file size will actually stay the same in the end. From this
you can see that the use of lossless compression would be good

Lossless Lossy
for print image e.g. Magazine or book. But not so good for use
on website images.

Vector
Vector images are made up of three different components, these components are points, lines and
curves. Points are the basic building blocks for any vector image. They are laid out into the basic
shape of what the image will be, then they are joined up with either lines or curves. Points are kind
of like dot-to-dot version of an image. Lines join up each point on a vector image to define the image
with an outline so it is visible. Curves are alternatives to lines as they are curves not lines. They can
be used to join up points so that the line in between
the two points is a curved line and not a straight one.
This gives the shape some depth. The word
Polygon is a term for any shape that is made up of
straight lines. Polygons can be found
An image showing the process of a Vector graphic.
inside vector images depending on
whether the image has curved
or straight lines.

Vector graphics
curve. Metafiles
A metafile is a file containing information that describes or
specifies another file.

Microsoft uses this term for its Windows Metafile

(WMF) format. A WMF file contains a sequence of
graphical-device-interface function calls ("commands") that results in
the presentation of a graphic image. Some of the function calls are
equivalent to vector graphics statements and others identify stored
bitmap or literal specifications of which bits to illuminate (raster
graphics images). Using WMF files rather than already-built bitmaps
saves space when many bitmaps are used repeatedly by different
components of the operating system or of an application. The WMF file assumes a 16-bit operating
system. Microsoft has an enhanced metafile (EMF) format for its 32-bit operating systems.
Microsoft's clipboard file can contain a WMF file, an EMF file, or a bitmap (BMP) format file.

Another example of a metafile is the Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM). The CGM file format is a
standard (American National Standards Institute -approved) format that can be used on any
operating system that supports it. The CGM file is commonly used in CAD and presentation graphics
applications.

File Extensions
BMP
The BMP file format stands for bitmap image file or simply a bitmap. This is a Raster graphics image
format used to store bitmap digital images. The BMP file format is capable of storing 2D digital
images of arbitrary width, height, and resolution, both monochrome and colour, in various colour
depths and optionally with data compression of lossy and lossless.
PNG
PNG, also known as Portable Network Graphics is a Raster graphics file
format that supports lossless data compression. PNG was created to improve
upon and replace GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) as an image-file format
not requiring a patent license, and is the most used Lossless image compression
format on the internet. Even though it is a replacement for GIF, to this day people
still use GIF as a file format. PNG supports palette-based images (with palettes of
Image saved
24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA colours), grayscale images (with or without alpha
with PNG
channel), and RGB images (with or without alpha channel). PNG was designed for file format.
transferring images on the Internet, not for professional-quality print graphics,
and therefore does not support non-RGB colour spaces such as CMYK.

GIF
The Graphics Interchange Format, better known as GIF is a
bitmap image format. The format supports up to 8 bits per
pixel for each image, allowing a single image to reference its own palette of up
to 256 different colours chosen from the 24-bit RGB colour space. It also
supports animations and allows a separate palette of up to 256 colours for
each frame. These palette limitations make the GIF format less suitable for
Rotating image of the reproducing colour photographs and other images with continuous colour,
Earth saved with GIF file but it is well-suited for simpler images such as graphics or logos with solid
areas of colour. GIF images are compressed using a lossless compression technique to reduce the file
size without degrading the visual quality of the image.

TIFF
TIFF (Tagged image file format) is a file format in which Graphics
artists, the publishing industry, amateur and professional
Photographers are popular with as is it a direct file format that is only
used to save images. This file format is also popular with these there
professions as each profession may be editing the image, therefore
making it a suitable file format to save images as most picture editing
programs use this format e.g. Adobe Photoshop. Picture saved with TIFF format.

JPEG
JPEG also known as Joint Photographic Experts Group has become a commonly
used file format among photographers because it uses the lossy file compression
which means it can compress the file to a much smaller size than the original
image. Seen as though the file size of each image would be smaller it means that
the photographers would be able to store a lot more photographs than if they
used a lossless compression technique because the lossless technique wouldnt compress the files as
much as a lossy technique would.

PSD
JPEG image showing
PSD (Photoshop Design) is a file format that is only accessible
gradual decrease of via the use of Adobe Photoshop. There are two main uses
quality.
for this file format, they are, editing images or creating
graphics from scratch. Adobe had this file format made
because its use of the lossless compression means that the
image that is saved will not lose any of its layers and quality within the
actual image itself. A file that is saved using the PSD
format is only PSD file saved as a JPEG. viewable within the Photoshop programme itself as
it saves each image the exact same way it was created or edited
within the programme.

AI
The Adobe Illustrator (AI) is a file format which is used in Adobe Illustrator. It is
used for the production of vector graphics the AI file format is viewable in many
other vector based editing programs such as CorelDraw and Cinima4D as well as
Illustrator itself. The AI file format only supports vector graphics themselves.

EPS
Encapsulated PostScript or EPS files are formats that are used in the production
of vector graphics, graphic file formats such as the JPEG usually store their data
with a bitmap format but with the EPS file format the data of the image is
saved in a script form (text) but is viewable as both image and text, EPS files can only
be read through specific editorial programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
because the file format is quite complex to the untrained eye, this file format would be
common amongst vector artists because it is one of the main file formats in
which vector graphics can be saved without the quality of the image being reduced as it is saved in a
script form not a Lossy form, for this reason it is a good choice for a vector artist to use.

FLA
The FLA file format is a file format for Adobe Flash animations, all the data within the
FLA file is fully editable using Flash, FLA can contain Vector Graphics, drawings or
images.
Vector-based Applications
Applications used for creating and editing vector graphics are known as Drawing Packages.
There are also web-based and free versions of vector drawing applications. Most vector
graphics software applications can also be used to create meta graphics.

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is the industry leader in vector drawing
applications. This was one of the original software applications
produced by Adobe. Originally used for creating vector designs
for print, now it is also used for creating web and screen based
graphics. Until 1989, Illustrator was only supported on the
MAC operating system. CS3 is the most up-to-date version. This
allows for closer integration with Adobe's web authoring and 2D
animation application, Adobe Flash.

CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is another popular vector drawing application. It has many similar features to
Illustrator. One of the differences between the two
packages is that CorelDRAW allows for multi-page
editing whereas illustrator only allows for single page
editing. At the time of writing CorelDRAW is part of a
suite of applications known as CorelDRAW Graphics
Suite, which consists of five applications. The main
disadvantage of CorelDRAW and possibly one of the
reasons that Illustrator is more widely used is that it is
only supported on the Windows operating system.
Adobe Freehand
Adobe Freehand (formerly Macromedia) is used for creating vector
graphics for desktop publishing and web platforms. It has many
similar features to Adobe Illustrator, so much so that Adobe have no
plans to upgrade Freehand at present. Instead, they are suggesting
that customers move over to Illustrator.

Raster-based Applications
Some raster graphics applications are used specifically for editing images, some specifically
for creating bitmaps and others are combination of both, eg Adobe Photoshop. Bitmap
graphics software applications are known by several names such as raster graphics editors,
image editors and paint packages. Editors allow for the editing and manipulation of
individual pixels in a bitmap graphic. Most raster graphics software applications can also
be used to create meta graphics.

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard image editing and bitmap
creation package for professional developers and designers. Photoshop
is used to create formats for both print and screen design. More recent
versions include the 'Save for Web' option which allows users to
compare the results of saving different formats, compressed file sizes
download times on different internet connections. A wide range of file
formats are available to save graphics. CMYK, RGB, Greyscale, and indexed colour models
are available. Various filters and effects can be used to enhance bitmaps. In addition, there
are a variety of 'painting' tools for image editing and correction, eg clone tool, paint brush,
histogram, colour balance, selection tools and even drawing tools, eg pen tool.

Photoshop has been the industry leader for graphics applications since it was introduced in
1990, probably because it was one of the first bitmap graphics software applications with a
wide range of features. At the time of writing the current version is CS3 (Creative Suite 3).
Previous versions include 1-7, CS, CS2, and CS3. Photoshop now comes with 'Image Ready',
a package used to edit images for the web.
Corel Paint Shop Pro (PSP)
Corel Paint Shop is an image editor and graphics creation
package aimed at the professional market. It has many similar
features to Photoshop, making it one of Photoshop's main
competitors and it is much cheaper.

Corel Painter
Corel Painter is used to create bitmaps. It is a paint
package in the truest sense as it creates natural-looking
artistic images. Unlike Photoshop, it isn't used to edit
photographs. For the best results users should used a
graphics tablet when working with Painter, as opposed to
working with a mouse. A wide range of filters and effects, including paint effects, eg
watercolours and oil paints, are available. The final graphics can then be printed not only
on paper but other media such as canvas.

Adobe Fireworks
Fireworks is a combination of an image editor, bitmap creation and vector drawing package.
This was originally developed for web developers and designers, to take away the need to
have a separate vector package and bitmap
package. Fireworks has the common tools and
features of both types of application. More recent
versions have seen an improvement in the amount
of filters and effects available, however Photoshop
still offers a wider selection. It was one of the first
applications to support the PNG (Portable Network
Graphic) format.

Media Forms
Print
Newspapers
Newspapers are the most popular form of print media. They are generally delivered at
home, or are available at newsstands, and it is the most inexpensive way to reach a huge
mass of people quickly.
Different types of newspapers cater to various audiences, and one can select the particular
category accordingly. A newspaper is divided into various segments containing current
events, sports, food, entertainment, fashion, finances, politics, advertisements, informative
articles, and so on. The advertiser, in this case, can choose from a daily newspaper to a
weekly tabloid. Advertisers design press advertisements, wherein the size is decided as per
the budget of the client. A newsletter is a publication that mostly covers one main topic.
Sometimes, people have to subscribe for the newsletters, or many a time, they are even free.

Newsletters
Newsletters are generally used as information sources for neighborhood, communities, and
groups having an interest about that particular topic, or event. They are also used for
promotional purpose, political campaigns, or for causes. Newsletters are also used in many
schools as a communication tool for parents, which give them information about what is
new in the school. Many companies make use of newsletters as a marketing strategy to
provide all the information to customers and employees.

Magazines
Magazines provide detailed articles on various topics, like food, fashion, sports, finance,
lifestyle, and so on. Magazines are published weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, and
many of them are sold all over the world. Advertising in magazines costs a bit more, but it is
a great way to target some market segments. The ads in the magazines need to be eye-
catching, yet simple and elegant. Make sure you do not put too much information to herd
the page; in that case, you can provide web details for more information. The
advertisements and magazine subscription fees are the fund providers for the magazines.

Banners
Banners at many places are made of cloth, or paper and are used to show slogans, logos, or
some messages. It is also used for advertising brands in exhibitions, giving out the names of
products, or services that are being provided. Like banners, posters also come under the
same category for the same purpose. Communication details are also an important part of
these banners.

Posters
Posters are mostly hung at a height and are made attractive to catch the attention of the
passersby. The primary use of posters can be seen in political campaigns. Both banners and
posters are customized and include text as well as graphicsthat too in a huge size so that
the message is seen from far. It is a self-made form of advertising.
Billboards
Billboards have mostly become digital, but they qualify under the category of print
mediaafter all, the advertisements are printed on the billboard. These include text and
graphicsmostly as a combinationso as to make it more appealing. Billboards have fixed
locations and are huge in size so that it can be seen and read from a long distance. Billboard
advertisements are the most costliest in the print media category. The price depends on the
size, location of the billboard, and mostly on the duration of the advertisement. Apart from
advertisements, many promotional activities are also done by making use of billboards.
Even though it costs a lot, it helps in targeting all the market segments.

I could use my graphics within any of these print media forms to gain an advertisement for
the band.

Moving Image
Video
A video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and
display of moving visual media.

Video systems vary greatly in the resolution of the display and refresh rate. Video can be
carried on a variety of media, including radio broadcast, tapes, DVDs, computer files etc.

Animated GIF
The Graphics Interchange Format (better known as GIF) is a bitmap image format that
supports up to 8 bits per pixel for each image, allowing a single image to reference its own
palette of up to 256 different colors chosen from the 24-bit RGB color space. It also supports
animations and allows a separate palette of up to 256 colors for each frame. These palette
limitations make the GIF format less suitable for reproducing color photographs and other
images with continuous color, but it is well suited for simpler images such as graphics or
logos with solid areas of color.

Animated Web Banner

A web banner or banner ad is a form of advertising on the World Wide Web delivered by an
ad server. This form of online advertising entails embedding an advertisement into a web
page. It is intended to attract traffic to a website by linking to the website of the advertiser.
In many cases, a central ad server delivers banners. When the advertiser scans their log
files and detects that a web user has visited the advertiser's site from the content site by
clicking on the banner ad, the advertiser sends the content provider some small amount of
money (usually around five to ten US cents).

I could use all these forms to advertise The Pixels when creating my graphics.

Interactive
Social Media
The growing family of social media tools are also interactive in nearly every sense. Not only
do users publish their own information, be it photos, status updates, or short thoughts, they
also frequently leave comments on the publications of others. People often hold entire
conversations and make significant decisions within the closed space of the network.

Websites and the Internet

To a certain extent, the entire Internet could be considered interactive since it requires at
least some directional decisions from users. Unlike a book with fixed contents and a logical
sequence to the materials, websites are more scattered and their information condensed in
ways that are usually subject to regular change and editing. The path a researcher takes to
find material is often driven by at least some creative energy or on-the-spot decision-making
as a result.

Media and Mass Marketing

Interactive advertising is also a growing sector. Most examples are online and dont always
take the form of standard ads. They seek to engage consumers or potential consumers in
some sort of dialogue, and as such they may not seem like marketing at all at first.
Companies have increasingly opened their own social media accounts, for instance, and
often offer incentives and discounts for people who friend or like the brand online. This
can both create loyalty and harness individual networks to promote brand visibility, almost
like an endorsement.

I could also use these different forms to advertise my band.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I feel that the best way to go to create my graphics would be to use Photoshop
as I have the most skills in that software and college already owns it. Photoshop will allow
me to easily produce high quality graphics that I could then use to advertise the band by
using some of the different formats above like, posters and social media.

Interactive media is probably the best way to go when advertising my band as the audience
is a bit younger and therefore use the internet and social media more.