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Pixel

By Sue Chastain, About.com

Pixel - tiny picture eleents

Pixel - The picture elements that make up the images you see.

Definition: Picture element; a pixel is the smallest display element that makes up the images you see on a computer monitor or television. A typical image contains millions of pixels which is why digital camera output is defined in megapixels (mega=millions). In bitmap -based images, the more pixels an image contains, the higher its resolution.

This example is a computer icon with original dimensions of 32 by 32 pixels. The larger image shows the icon zoomed to 500% so you can clearly see the individual pixels in the image. A single pixel is indicated by a red outline in the upper right-hand corner.

Graphics Glossary

Common Misspellings: pixle pixal pixol
Sue Chastain
Guide since 1999

Sue Chastain
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