November 9, 2007 
Almost every image you view on a computer falls under two categories: bitmap and vector. I won’t go into details, but the gist of it is that a bitmap image (which comprises the majority of the images on the web) may lose its integrity when resized, forming unslightly pixelated edges. On the other hand, a vector image is based on mathematical calculations which allows for infinite resizing without any loss in quality.
If you want to learn more, please read the informative guide created by the kind people at East by West.
Vector images aren’t always ideal for detailed images such as photographs, but can be tremendously useful for simpler types like logos. The latest versions of Adobe Illustrator have a Live Trace feature that converts bitmap images to vector format. This immediately became one of the most popular, touted features on Illustrator for its time-saving, at-the-touch-of-a-button ease and functionality.
What if you don’t have access to Illustrator but need to convert a bitmap image to a vector drawing?
Today’s Lifehacker featured a new website called Vector Magic, where you can upload a bitmap image to be converted to vector format. The basic features are pretty self-explanatory and easy to use. Just for fun, here I am, vectorized:
Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.