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Digital imaging or digital image acquisition is the creation of digital images, typically from a physical object. The term is often assumed to imply or include the processing, compression, storage, printing, and display of such images.
A digital image may be created directly from a physical scene by a camera or similar devices. Alternatively, it may be obtained from another image in an analog medium, such as photographs, photographic film, or printed paper, by a scanner or similar device. Many technical imagessuch as those acquired with tomographic equipment, side-looking radar, or radio telescopesare actually obtained by complex processing of non-image data. Finally, a digital image can also be computed from a geometric model or mathematical formula (however, in this case the name image synthesis is more appropriate).
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When selecting images for your marketing communication materials, it is necessary that the image fit the article to give it the extra emphasis that it needs.
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Fast Facts
Image file formats, also called raster graphics or bitmap files, contain a representation of a graphic stored as pixels at a fixed resolution. An example is a photographic digital image or scanned image. Some of the most common image formats include GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and BMP. Image formats are commonly used in documents and on the Web. Images are edited using paint programs or bitmap editors.
Vector graphics are defined through mathematical expressions and are resolution-independent and scalable. Examples of vector formats are AI, DXF, CGM, MIF and SVG. Examples of vector graphics are illustrations, line art, logos and CAD drawings. Vector graphics are edited using draw programs or other illustration programs.
Metafile formats are portable and can include contain both raster and vector information. Examples are application-independent formats such as WMF and EMF. The metafile format is an intermediate format. Most Windows applications open metafiles and then save them in their own native format.
Page description language refers to formats used to describe the layout of a printed page containing text, objects and images. Examples are PostScript, PDF and PCL.