One of the first 10 questions people can ask while creating their first icon design or simply learning this subject is the next one: “Why so many icons were done in bitmap format while vector format guarantees all sizes of an object?”

So as we believe that among our readers we can find a lot of new comers in icon styling that is why let us first learn general information about bitmap and vector formats.

We can guess that this file was done in bitmap format if it ends with “.jpg”, “.png”, “.tiff” and others. Bitmap format means that this file is based on pixels and as we remember pixel is a small square of light and our screen is nothing more then a plenty of pixels gathered together. Pixel stands for “picture element”. It is really easy to see these little squares of light if you get at home such type of monitor as LCD flat panel monitor. In all 24x24 Awesome Icons that were done in bitmap we can find 576 pixels. In numeric code of a picture every pixel will be just a number of bits. Of cause if you want to make a big picture you need more pixels for creating it.

You will face with a vector image if you would find a file which ends with “.eps”, “.svg” and others. This picture format consists of geometric and mathematical data. So to make 24x24 Best Icons in this format we just need to mention color and initial size, but have in mind  icon in vectors could fit any size because it will be done in geometric parameters such as situation of four corners in pixel squares. This file format needs only 6 bits of information unlike bitmap which needs 576 bits.

So main benefits of vector format are adaptation to any picture size and smaller amount of bits compared with bitmap one. But why graphic designers continue to create elements for every size?

The answer is very technical and simple - the deal is in relativity. So everything becomes quite understandable in practice, create the same icon in different pixel sizes: 24x24 Icons, 32X32 Icons, 48x48 Icons and maybe 16x16 Icons. Also create the same icon in one vector size, for example let it be 24x24 Icon and then scale it mathematically to the same sizes as bitmap format.

Done? Now look attentively at all icons, don’t you see the difference? Of cause you will because it is very hard not to notice it, the thing is that every icon looks very clearly in bitmap format, but when we look at icons in vector format we can see that only icon with original format, 24x24, looks good and other icons look blurry.

“But how you can explain it, if you said they can scale to any size?”- you will possibly ask. Our answer will be also technical and simple, the thing is that many computers nowadays still work with pixel based monitors, that is why if you take vector image originally done in such parameters as 24x24 and want to change it to 16x16 surely you will face with a mismatch of relative parameters and the picture will look blurry.