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Images

Images are still pictures which (uncompressed) are represented as a bitmap (a grid of pixels).

Images may be generated by programs similar to graphics or animation programs. But images may be scanned for photographs or pictures using a digital scanner or from a digital camera. Some Video cameras allow for still image capture also. Analog sources will require digitising.

Images may be stored at 1 bit per pixel (Black and White), 8 Bits per pixel (Grey Scale, Colour Map) or 24 Bits per pixel (True Colour) (See Chapter 6).

Thus a 512x512 Grey scale image takes up 1/4 Mb, a 512x512 24 bit image takes 3/4 Mb with no compression. This overhead soon increases with image size so compression is commonly applied (See Chapter 7)



Dave Marshall
10/4/2001