Pixel facts for kids

Pixels are tiny dots that make up a picture on a computer screen.

A pixel is a tiny dot that helps create a picture. The word "pixel" is short for "picture element." On a screen, a pixel is usually a small square shape.

Every pixel has its own color. When many pixels are put together, they form a complete picture. The color of a pixel can be made using a mix of red, green, and blue (this is called RGB). Other color mixes are also possible, like cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK).

What "Pixel" Means

The word "pixel" was first seen in a paper written by Frederic C. Billingsley in 1965. He didn't invent the word himself. He heard it from Keith E. McFarland. Keith said the word was already being used back then.

The "pix" part of "pixel" is a short way of saying "picture." The word "pix" was first used in 1932 in a magazine called Variety. It was a short form for "pictures" or movies. By 1938, "pix" was also used for still pictures that didn't move.

The longer phrase "picture element" is even older. For example, the German word Bildpunkt, which means "picture point," was used in a 1888 patent by Paul Gottlieb Nipkow.

Related Pages

• Display resolution
• Raster graphics

Images for kids

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  A photograph of sub-pixel display elements on a laptop's LCD screen

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  A pixel doesn't have to look like a small square. This image shows other ways to make a picture from pixel values, like using dots, lines, or smooth blending.

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  Text shown using ClearType with subpixels

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  The shapes of color parts in different screens. The dots in old CRT screens (top row) are not related to pixels or subpixels.

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  Comparing how much detail you can see between 0.3 and 24 Megapixels

See also

In Spanish: Píxel para niños