Opening Raster Images

[steveeyes]

I'm using CS6 and can't figure out the following (I'm a newbie to illustrator). When I open a raster image, Illustrator always opens it at a smaller size than it actually is. For example. The image size is 1024 x 640. When I open it in illustrator it is 240 x 140. Why does Illustrator open an image in a smaller size? Is it a setting or is this normal in illustrator?

Thanks

[mwenz]

Illustrator works off of 72 points per inch. To Illustrator, 1 point equals 1 pixel. As well, depending upon what the internal DPI of the image(s) you open, the size on-screen (and what is suitable for print) will vary because of the internal 72 points = 72 pixels.

In general, one would place a bitmap in Illustrator, not open it. Illy is a vector illustration application, not a bitmap editor. There are certain operations one can do to bitmaps in Illy, and one can certainly make vector art into bitmaps, as well as export bitmap formats, at its heart, it does so in the context of a vector drawing application.

Depending upon what you desire to do with a bitmap in Illustrator, PhotoShop is likely to be better suited for the editing and manipulation of bitmaps in most contexts.