I received such kind feedback about my "Graphic Design for Scientists" workshop post (I will respond to you), I thought I'd share some key takeaways.
1. Raster/bitmap vs. Vector: A basic distinction every artist knows, but scientists aren't taught. #dataviz #AcademicTwitter
1. Raster/bitmap vs. Vector: A basic distinction every artist knows, but scientists aren't taught. #dataviz #AcademicTwitter
Raster/bitmap images are PIXEL-based, whereas vector images are saved as mathematical SHAPES. Why is this important? For pixel-based images, quality is dependent on the original resolution you saved your image in. Vectors can be scaled indefinitely without any loss in quality.
Vector images are also much easier to edit, because typefaces, shapes, and lines are preserved in their respective format. It's also far easier to convert a vector image to raster/bitmap than raster/bitmap to vector.
Unless you're working with digital photographs, there is really no reason to NOT save your images as vector files. You will save yourself, colleagues, and journal editors headaches later on if you ever need to edit something.
You'll also never risk having a pixelated figure in a paper or presentation. We've all attempted to present a figure from someone else's work and were disappointed to find it full of pixels when expanded. This is why.
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