This section is an introduction to computer graphics and the basic technology behind imaging software.

It is intended to help you better understand Web imaging concepts, and the methods you can apply as you work with images for your Web.

There are three general formatting methods for representing graphics on a computer:

• Raster, in which an image is formed as a series of dots, each having its own assigned place in a grid.
• Vector, in which drawing information is stored as a table of the start and end points of lines that make up each shape.
• Metafile, in which both bitmap and vector methods are combined, using the vector format to define shapes, outlines, and fills; and the bitmap format to do complex shading and coloring.