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Importing Clip Art, Bitmap & Vector Images
For Shape Tweens & Other Uses

Free Flash Tutorial

Step One: Understanding Bitmap Images

Broadly speaking there are two types of computer image files. They are Bitmap and Vector. Photographic types of images (such as Jpeg) tend to be Bitmap and graphic types of images such as logos tend to be Vector.

• Bitmap Image: The word Bitmap refers to the method of storing pictures electronically that 'maps' an image Pixel by Pixel. These images consist of rows and columns of dots. Each dot has a colour value. The value of each dot is stored in one or more 'bits' of data.

A Bitmap image.

Zoom into a Bitmap image and you will see the individual square pixels:

Zoom in and you can see the individual squares or pixels of colour.

Bitmap images are good at storing textures which is why photos use this method.

There are many Bitmap file formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, PSD etc.

To make Bitmap images you can use a digital camera, scanner or programs like Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Fireworks, Microsoft Paint or Corel's Paint Shop Pro.

Alternative Meaning: Just to confuse the word Bitmap also refers to images that have only two colours, usually Black & White. There would be no gray or in-between colours.

A Bitmap Image.

Zoom into a Bitmap image and you will see the individual pixels:

There are only Black and White pixels.

Note: Although it is confusing to have one word which has two very specific but similar meanings, thankfully they are used in different circumstances. The first Bitmap definition is a general computer term but these black and white Bitmap images are used in the printing industry. Standard commercial printing presses are not capable of printing gradations of colour so these black & white Bitmaps are used when creating Printing Plates for printing colours. This is because either there is ink in a particular location or there is not.

Note: When using the word Bitmap I will always be using it in the first definition (image made of many coloured pixels) and not to the black & white meaning.

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