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Bitmap images


    Paint and image-editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop, generate bitmap images, also called raster images. The images use a grid (also known as a bitmap or raster) of small squares, known as pixels, to represent graphics. Each pixel in a bitmap image has a specific location and color value assigned to it. For example, a bicycle tire in a bitmap image is made up of a collection of pixels in that location, with each pixel part of a mosaic that gives the appearance of a tire. When working with bitmap images, you edit pixels rather than objects or shapes.

    Bitmap images are the most common electronic medium for continuous-tone images, such as photographs or images created in painting programs, because they can represent subtle gradations of shades and color. Bitmap images are resolution dependent--that is, they represent a fixed number of pixels. As a result, they can appear jagged and lose detail if they are scaled on-screen or if they are printed at a higher resolution than they were created for.

    Bitmap images are good for reproducing subtle gradations of color, as in photographs. They can have jagged edges when printed at too large a size or displayed at too high a magnification.
    Bitmap images are good for reproducing subtle gradations of color, as in photographs. They can have jagged edges when printed at too large a size or displayed at too high a magnification.