raster graphics

A method of producing an image on a display screen. The image is drawn as horizontal lines of dots, repeated for each line of the screen. The bitmap is encoded as a one-dimensional stream of bits, formed by each line of the display in order. Each pixel in the image may consist of several dots depending on the resolution of the image and the resolution of the monitor, see above. In general any line which is neither vertical nor horizontal will have a jagged appearance. If very high quality screen display of line drawings is required, then vector graphics is the appropriate system.