Color Detail

Color Detail

Pixel color depth or bits per pixel in digital photos

Digital photos are built of many pixels. Each pixel has a unique value represents its color. When you are looking for in a digital photo of your eyes and brain to merge these pixels into one continuous digital photo. Each pixel has a color value that is one of a finite number of colors available in this number is known as color depth.

Each pixel has a color value which is one of a color palette unique. The number of colors so unique potential is known as color depth. Color depth is also known as bit depth or bits per pixel, and that a certain number of bits used to represent a color and there is no direct correlation between the number of bits as possible and the number of unique colors. For example, if a pixel color is represented by a little - one bit per pixel or a 1-bit depth - the pixel can have only two unique values or two unique colors of these colors usually black or white.

Color depth is important in two areas: the input image or the source and output device shown in this source. Each source of digital photos or other graphics sources are displayed on output devices such as computer screens and printed paper. Each source has a depth color. For example, a digital photograph can have a color depth of 16 bits. The color depth of origin depends on how it was created, for example, color depth sensor camera used to shoot a digital photo. The color depth is independent of the output device is used to display the picture digital. Each output device has a maximum color depth supported and can also be set to a lower color depth (usually to save resources as memory). If an output device has a higher color depth of the source of an output device are not fully utilized. If an output device has a depth lower color of the source of the output device displays a lower quality version of the source.

Many times you hear the depth of color, expressed in number of bits (bit depth or bits per pixel). Here is a table of common bits per pixel values and the number of colors that represent:

1 bit: Only two colors are supported. Usually these are in black and white, but can be any pair of colors. It is used for sources of black and white and in rare cases of screens black and white.

2 bits: 4 colors are supported. Rarely used.

4 bits: 16 colors are supported. Rarely used.

8 bit: 256 colors are supported. It is used for simple graphics and icons. Digital photos are displayed with 256 colors of poor quality.

12 bits: 4096 colors are supported. It is hardly used the computer screen, but sometimes this color depth is used by devices such as PDAs and cell phones. The reason is that the 12-bit color depth display is the limit for high quality digital photos. Less than 12-bit screens distort the colors of digital photos too. The lower the color depth of less memory and resources are required such devices and limited resources.

16 bits: 65536 colors are supported. Provides high-quality digital color display photos. The color depth is used by many computer screens and portable devices. 16-bit color depth is enough to show digital photo colors that are very close to real life.

24 bits: 16777216 (approximately EUR 16 million) colors are supported. This is also known as "true" color. The reason for that nick name is that the 24-bit color depth is seen more as the number unique color of our eyes and brain can see. So with 24 bit color depth provides the ability to show true color digital photographs of real life.

32 bit: in contrast to what some people believe that the color depth of 32 bits is not supported 4294967296 (approximately 4 billion) colors. In fact, the color depth of 32 bits compatible with 16,777,216 colors is the same number of 24-bit color depth. The reason for existence in 32-bit color depth is mainly to optimize the speed of performance. Like most computers use the buses in the 32-bit multiplications are more efficient than using 32-bit chunks of data. 24 bits of the 32 are used to describe the color of the pixel. The extra 8 bits are left blank or used for other purposes such as indicators of transparency and other effects.

About the Author

Information about photography and photo prints is on printrates.com - your home for cameras and printing This article can be reprinted only if the resource box including the backlink is included. Ziv Haparnas writes about practical technology issues.

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