Vector graphics are images that consist of geometric objects such as circles, lines, splines or Bezier curves.
In contrast to pixel graphics, vector graphics contain structural information. The pixel information is only calculated when the graphic is rendered. In certain application contexts, the structural information can be important, especially in the production process. Examples are:
- technical drawings
- diagrams of all kinds
- mathematical curve representations
Rendering graphics requires computing power that does not have to be used when displaying pixel graphics. For this reason, vector graphics are rarely found in performance-critical applications (e.g. in games).