Digital Graphics and Media: Terms and Definitions

Digital Graphics and Media: Key Terms

Image Fundamentals

• Pixel: Individual dots that make up bitmap graphics.
• Dots Per Inch (DPI): Also known as printer resolution. The number of dots of color a printer can produce in a certain amount of space.
• Pixels Per Inch (PPI): The measurement of pixelation on an output device, such as a computer screen.
• 300 PPI: The typical PPI needed for professional and commercial prints, such as advertising hoardings, for acceptable quality.
• Megapixel: A unit used to measure the resolution of digital cameras, referring to one million pixels.
• Bit Depth: Refers to the number of colors in an image.

Vector vs. Bitmap Graphics

• Vector Graphics: Graphics stored as a series of mathematical shapes and properties that can be independently manipulated at any time.
• Bitmap Graphics: Graphics composed of rectangular grids of pixels.
• Filters: General name for operations performed on an image using graphics software.
• Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI): Graphics created entirely on a computer, using 2D or 3D graphics software.

Common Uses of Vector Graphics

• 3D Models
• 3D Printing
• Logos
• CAD (Computer-Aided Design)

Audio and Video

• Codec: Software needed to play compressed audio or video files (Compressor-Decompressor).
• Bit Rate: The amount of data used to represent a single sample in a video or audio file.
• Buffer: A temporary storage area used to store video or audio data ready for playing.
• Streaming Media: Video or audio that is played while being downloaded from the Internet.

Compression Techniques

• Lossless Compression: A compression technique where the original file is completely recoverable with no loss of quality.
• Lossy Compression: A compression technique where some file data is sacrificed to reduce file size.

File Formats

Video Formats

• AVI: Audio Video Interleave
• MOV: Used by Apple
• MP4: Motion Pictures Expert Group 4
• WMV: Windows Media Video

Audio Formats

• AAC: Advanced Audio Coding
• FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec
• MP3: MPEG Audio Layer 3
• WMA: Windows Media Audio
• MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface

Image Formats

• BMP: Bitmap Image
• TIF: Tagged Image File Format
• GIF: Graphics Interchange Format
• PNG: Portable Network Graphics
• JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group
• PSD: Photoshop Document
• SVG: Scalable Vector Graphics

Intellectual Property and Copyright

• Intellectual Property: Non-physical creations such as stories, music, and works of art.
• Fair Use: Exceptions to copyright laws under certain limited circumstances.
• Enforcing Copyright: Preventing copyright infringement can be difficult, as enforcement varies drastically between countries.
• Free Licenses: Often allow non-commercial use.
• Citing Sources: Creative Commons attribute licenses require you to credit the author of the work when you use it.

Desktop Publishing

• DTP (Desktop Publishing): Software that allows complex pages of text and graphics to be laid out for publications.