- Computer graphics software is used for a variety of purposes such as manipulating photos, creating digital artwork, designing logos and visually depicting concepts. These programs create digital images that can be shown, printed or used in combination with other programs.
- Raster programs use rectangular grids of different colors to make up an image. When the image is viewed at a medium or small size, the pixels blend together to create what looks like a normal image. But as a user zooms in, the boxes that make up the image can be seen. The downsize of this is that raster images lose quality after resizing.
- Vector graphics programs are dependent on points and lines. These are based off mathematical equations stored within the computer. These vectors allow for images to be created that are resizable, without any loss of quality. However, these programs sometimes make it difficult to edit small details.
- The toolbox contains various functions that can be used to edit the image using a mouse. Common functions include the paintbrush, lasso, magic wand, pen tool and fill. These tools are used to alter specific parts of the image, such as when a digital artist wants to blur part of the image.
- Graphics programs have effects and filters that can be used to change the entire image as a whole. Hue, saturation and brightness can be changed by using sliders. Filters can be run to change the picture in all sorts of ways. An example includes the add noise filter, which can make the image appear more grainy. Plug-ins can often be downloaded to add an unlimited variety of filters. Different parts of the image can be selected using the selection tool or the lasso tool in order to adjust different parts of the image using filters.
