Raster graphics

Raster graphics refers to computer graphics in which an image is composed of an array of pixels arranged in a grid of rows and columns. The counterpart to this display method is vector graphics.

Description
The term originates from vintage cathode-ray tube (CRT) video displays that were covered by a sweeping electron beam that would illuminate pixels in a series of horizontal lines from top to bottom. The beam then returns to the top during the vertical flyback interval to draw the next image. The speed of this process is referred to as the frame rate.

Raster graphics were once synonymous with monochromatic bitmap graphics when the simple binary (on/off) state of each bit corresponded with the illumination of a pixel. However, the color depth of raster graphics have since expanded to be able to display RGB color values with increasing precision.