Pixel
Also called: px or picture element(pel)
Pixels are the image dots that make up the image on a monitor, television or other type of display. Each pixel can take on any color. The pixel is the smallest controllable element of a display. Collectively, the pixels of a screen display the desired graphic image to the user.
The term pixel is derived from the words "picture" and "element.
Monitors and resolutions
A monitor's pixels are evenly distributed on a grid. The position of a pixel is sometimes referred to as a coordinate. The number of pixels available is called the resolution. The size and spacing of pixels determines the sharpness of the image and the pixel density, usually expressed in pixels per inch. Typically, the more pixels available to display an image, the sharper and more detailed the image will look.
In many display technologies, such as CRT and LCD, pixels are divided into subpixels. Each subpixel is specialized to its own color (classified as RGB, for example). Together, these subpixels determine the color of the pixel they form. In some file formats and image formats, additional image information can be added to drive additional subpixels, which can produce an even sharper image.
Cameras and megapixels
The resolution of digital cameras is also expressed in terms of the number of pixels into which they can convert the recorded image. Camera resolution is often expressed in megapixels (MP). A 2048×1536 image consists of 3,145,728 pixels, or 3 megapixels.
For video, the term HD (high definition) is also used. At a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels we talk about Full HD. A resolution of 3840×2160 pixels is also called UHD (ultra high definition) and at 4096×2160 pixels we talk about 4K.
Printing and printing
Digital printing and printing also convert designs into dots. Although pixels are also referred to here, the pixels of a digital (raster) design do not necessarily correspond to the dots that the printer will print. In printing, it is clearer to talk about dots and dots per inch, which usually correspond to the printer's ink drops.
