Vector graphics construct images using straight line segments, while raster graphics represent images by bitmaps (an image composed of a grid of colored dots called pixels) stored in memory. Vector graphics use memory more economically than raster graphics and, when used for simple shapes and logos, do not typically get distorted upon resizing. However, they are limited in representing realistic images, because their constituent line segments can create a stair-step visual effect while rendering fine detail or curves. Raster graphics, therefore, became more common in the late 1970s and 1980s for more realistic graphics.
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