Normal Map vs Bump Map: Key Differences

Both normal maps and bump maps add surface detail without increasing geometry. Here’s what differs and when to use each.

1) How They Work

• Bump Map is a grayscale texture. It perturbs the lighting using height values but has limited detail directionality.
• Normal Map is an RGB texture. Each pixel stores a direction of the surface normal, producing more accurate lighting.

2) Visual Differences

• Normal maps capture fine directional detail and respond better to angled light.
• Bump maps are simpler but can look flatter, especially at grazing angles.

3) Performance

Both are cheap to render. Normal maps can be slightly larger on disk but often compress well. Prefer power‑of‑two sizes for GPU efficiency.

4) Converting Height to Normal

Use the online normal map generator to convert a height map into a normal map. Adjust Strength/Level/Blur to taste, then export PNG.

Download Example Normal Map

Best Practices

• For games and PBR materials, prefer normal maps for accuracy.
• Use bump maps for simple, legacy, or very low‑memory cases.
• Combine with AO and Specular maps to enhance realism.