Supportsoft Glossary

Smallest Visual Unit in Digital Displays

 The smallest unit displayed on a digital screen is called a "pixel". Each pixel displays a single point of colour, and when combined with other pixels, multiple pixels create the images, text, and graphics you see on your computer monitors, phones, and tablets. The degree to which an image appears to be clear on the screen is defined by the number of pixels that fit within a specific area; therefore, the more pixels packed into a specific area, the clearer the image will appear.

Pixels are also critical for designers and developers. When designers discuss design spacing, layout, or image resolution, they apply their specifications using pixels (e.g., pixel width and pixel height). Similarly, developers will create code that generates user interfaces for different screen sizes and devices by defining pixel values.

In addition, the definition of "pixel" in modern user interfaces has changed due to the emergence of high-definition displays (such as Retina and AMOLED), which use many physical pixels combined to form one sharper digital pixel. Thus, it is important for design and developer teams to understand these differences to produce clear, scalable, and efficient graphics for all of the various display technologies available today.

Finally, pixels are the fundamental structure that underlies digital images, and everything from UI design to user experience is influenced by pixels.