What is Rasterization? (Vector to Pixel)
DefinitionConverting math (Vectors) into pixels (Bitmap).
1The Simple Explanation
Rasterization is like taking a photo of a drawing. Once you take the photo, it's just pixels. You can't reach in and move the lines anymore. It freezes the infinite vector math into a specific pixel grid.
2Technical Deep Dive
Occurs when browsers render SVGs to the screen, or when exporting AI/EPS to PNG. It is destructive. You cannot easily 'Un-Rasterize' (Vectorize) an image without using AI tracing, which is imperfect.
Common Misconceptions
Myth: I can save a JPG as an EPS to make it vector. Fact: That just puts a box of pixels inside a vector wrapper. It doesn't make the lines smooth again.