Artwork Terms

FAQ's | Terms: Decorating, Printing , Industry

Electronic/Digital artwork:

• Vector files: sometimes called a geometric file, most images created with tools such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw are in the form of vector image files. Vector image files are easier to modify than raster image files (which can, however, sometimes be reconverted to vector files for further refinement)
• Bitmap files: images are exactly what their name says they are: a collection of bits that form an image. The image consists of a matrix of individual dots (or pixels) that all have their own color (described using bits, the smallest possible units of information for a computer).
• Page Layout Documents: the font files and document preferences that need to be supplied for use on the supplier’s operating system.
• Metafile: a collection of structures that store a picture in a device- independent format. Device independence is the one feature that sets metafiles apart from bitmaps. Unlike a bitmap, a metafile guarantees device independence. There is a drawback to metafiles, because they are generally drawn more slowly than bitmaps. Therefore, if an application requires fast drawing and device independence is not an issue, it should use bitmaps instead of metafiles.
• Adobe® Portable Document Format files (PDF): preserve the visually rich content of original files, and are easier to read than HTML content that appears in a Web browser. Adobe PDF files print cleanly and quickly, and anyone can share Adobe PDF files, regardless of their platform or software application.

TIFF file (Tagged Image File Format): a file format for exchanging bitmapped images (usually scans) between applications.

EPS file (encapsulated postscript): an alternative picture file format that allows PostScript data to be stored and edited and is easy to transfer between Macintosh, MSDOS and other systems.

PostScript: a computer description language that allows a programmer to create complex pages using a series of commands.

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