Graphics

How is a picture stored (painted?) on the hard drive?
If you investigate the picture on your screen with a magnifying glass, what do you see?
What happens if you open a graphics file with an editor like Notepad? What do you see?
Why do pictures usually require so much storage space? Are there ways to get files with fewer space?
Why is Corel Draw so strange? How is it different from the graphics programs you use for photo editing?
What is Flash and what is its relation to vector based graphics programs?
A digital photo on the screen looks rough with only few colors. What's the reason?
How can I change the resolution and the color depth of my monitor?
What is High Color and True Color?
Is there any reason not to have True Color chosen?
Why does a picture always look different on the screen and when printed?
What is compression, how does it work?
There are hundreds of different graphics formats. Why?
What are the main features of the most commonly used graphics formats?

Erich Prisner, February 2005?