Computer graphics are of two types: raster (also called bitmap) or vector. With Paint Shop Pro, you create both raster and vector images. You can also create an image with both raster and vector layers. It’s important to understand the differences between the two data types.
Raster images are composed of individual elements, called pixels, arranged in a grid. Each pixel has a specific location and color. If you magnify raster data, you can see the individual pixels as squares of colors.
An object in a raster image is defined by its pixels. For example, the front door in an image of a house is made up of a mosaic of pixels at certain locations in the image. In bitmap images you edit pixels rather than objects or shapes.
Raster images can display subtle changes in tones and colors, so they are most often used for images like photographs and digital artwork. Raster images contain a fixed number of pixels, so when you magnify the image you are magnifying the display size of the pixels. As a result, raster images can display jagged rather than smooth edges if magnified on screen or printed at a large magnification.
Vector graphics or images use geometric characteristics—lines, curves, and their locations—to define objects. For example, a door in a graphic of a house is made up of a rectangle with a certain width and height at a specific location and filled with a certain color. In vector images you edit objects or shapes rather than pixels.
Vector graphics do not lose clarity or detail when scaled to any size or printed at any resolution. They work well for technical illustrations or corporate logos.
In Paint Shop Pro, you create and edit raster and vector data on separate layers. With some tools you create raster data (like brush strokes with the Paint tool) and with other tools (like the Text and Preset Shapes tools) you can choose whether you want to create raster or vector data.
In general, use vector objects when you’ll need to edit the object as an element separate from other parts of the image. For example, if you add a star to an image, you may want to change its size, color or location. This is easier if the star is a vector object. You can create raster data on separate layers so you can easily edit or move them.
To apply tools or commands to vector objects that work only on raster data (such as the painting tools or the effects commands), you can create a raster selection of a vector object. Then, paste the selection to a new raster layer.
Capturing Images from a Computer Screen
Setting Screen Capture Options
Importing Images from Digital Cameras and Scanners
Using the Paint Shop Pro Browser