← DictionaryRaster File
also called bitmap, PNG, JPG
A file built from pixels, which loses quality when enlarged.
Made of pixels. Enlarging it looks bad.
What It Is
In the BWH map, Raster File lives under Technology — Files. Stated plainly: a file built from pixels, which loses quality when enlarged.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Keep it that plain and it will still be true in twelve months.
How It's Used
In practice, Raster File shows up in build decisions, tooling and the plumbing behind a working system. It is usually discussed together with Vector File, Resolution and Image Optimisation. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Raster File is one of those items that only becomes visible when it is missing. When it is unclear, small technical debts compound into a rebuild. It is worth pinning down before anyone builds on top of it.
Think of it as a name on a box. Open the box and this is what is inside: Made of pixels. Enlarging it looks bad.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Practitioners use Raster File as shorthand and expect no explanation — a file built from pixels, which loses quality when enlarged.
Outside the industry, most people would just say: made of pixels. Enlarging it looks bad.
The Bottom Line
Keep Raster File plain: made of pixels. Enlarging it looks bad. That is the version that holds up in a real project.