What does pixel stand for in digital photography?

Answer 1

It is the term used when we want to check the result of a printer... dpi means: Dots per inch. more dpi means that the printing power of a printer is or the result of the print is much more clear or have a high resolution. This term is also used in visual graphics... more dpi means that the more clear image or picture on our monitor screen, so that the result would be more better.
DPI most generally refers to Dots Per Inch, a term applied to printing resolution. Specifically, it identifies the number of dots a printer can place on a page in one inch. Higher DPI means more detail and definition in a printed page.

A related term, PPI, or Pixels Per Inch, is applied to video screens. PPI and "dot pitch" both indicate how much detail can be seen on a computer monitor or TV screen. Again, high PPI (and low dot pitch) indicates more detail and definition in video images depending upon the resolution of the video device.

DPI can also refer to Deep Packet Inspection, which is applied to networks to analyze "packets" as they are routed through a network. Sometimes the packets are modified or deleted if they contain harmful computer instructions.

Related links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DPI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_per_inch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_packet_inspection
DPI in computing terms means Dots Per Inch. It relates to the number of dots on each side of a 1 inch square, that are used to construct an image either on screen or on paper through a printer. The higher the DPI number - the finer the detail of the image.

Answer 2

The progression of the term is "Picture element", "Picel", "Pixel". One Pixel Element consists of a series of numbers corresponding to red, blue, and green values usually ranging from 0 to 255. 0 is "no light", 255 is "maximum light". So a pixel called

rgb(0,0,0) would be BLACK, and

rgb(255,255,255) would be WHITE.

Other colors could be

rgb(255,0,0) RED

rgb(0,255,0) GREEN

rgb(0,0,255) BLUE

In practice, your computer monitor translates these values to pixels on your monitor. Each pixel group on your monitor has a RED, GREEN, and BLUE element.

If a speck on your photo is defined as rgb(34,255,67), a pixel on your monitor turns on each element to the values defined in that number group... 34 for the red element, 255 full on green, and 67 blue, twice as bright as the red. I don't know what color that is but it can be pretty. Mostly green with some red and twice as much blue... shudder.

A monitor is usually measured in pixels. A typical 22" widescreen monitor might be 1680 pixels across by 1050 pixels down.

Your digital camera resolution is also measured in pixels - 2,289 x 1,712 pixels for example. If you multiply the pixels across by the pixels down, you will find that this camera would be around 4 Mega(Million) Pixels, and a picture from it would fill almost two of the monitors mentioned above.

Printer resolution is measured in DOTS, which correspond to pixels, but are stored as a separate setting (PPI VS DPI). If you counted pixels per inch (PPI) on your monitor you would find that there are only 72 or 98, the industry standards. However your printer is probably capable of at least 300 Dots per inch (DPI).

SO - If that 4MP picture (that fills two monitors put together at 72PPI ) is printed at 300 DPI, you would have to count on the picture shrinking in physical size accordingly, by the same ratio - 300:72 or 4:1. Instead of a 44 inch picture on screen(s) you would get an 11 inch picture printed on paper at 300dpi.

Make sense?

Any questions, corrections, omissions, or clarification? Please leave them in the discussion area!

Answer 3

It stands for 'dots per inch'.