Rasterizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To convert a vector image into a pixel-based format by mapping it to a discrete grid of pixels; to process an image such that it can be displayed or printed as an array of pixels; or to transform graphical data into a raster format suitable for rendering on screens or printers
2. The action of changing a scalable image into a fixed-resolution representation made up of pixels; the method of preparing an image for output by translating it from a vector format into a raster format; or the technique of taking vector graphics and converting them into a bitmap format for display
3. The process of changing an image from a vector format, which is resolution-independent, into a raster format, which consists of a grid of pixel values; or the act of rendering digital images so they can be viewed on various devices; or the act of adapting graphical data for effective rendering and printing

Etymology: Rasterize is a plain technical coinage: it is built from "raster," a term borrowed into English from German, where it was a Latin-derived name for a scanning frame, and the suffix "-ize," which entered English through Middle French and ultimately traces back to Ancient Greek verbs ending in "-izein." Put together, the verb simply means to turn something into a raster, the grid of pixels a screen or printer uses to form an image. The word belongs to the vocabulary of computer graphics, where it became standard as digital images were displayed and printed. Its meaning is closely tied to the contrast it describes: a vector image stores shapes as mathematical instructions, so it can be enlarged without blur, whereas rasterizing fixes the image to a set number of dots, which is why a rasterized picture can look jagged when scaled up.