Each pixel in an image can represent a range of grayscale values. An 8-bit per color channel image, also known as a 24-bit image, can display up to 16.7 million distinct colors (8 bits x 3 color channels = 24 bits). In contrast, a 30-bit or 32-bit color image can represent billions of possible colors.
The individual pixels in a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) sensor are colored using a pixel-by-pixel approach. This allows for a wide range of color depth options:
– 16-bit color: 65,536 colors
– 8-bit color: 256 colors
– 8-bit grayscale: 256 shades of gray
– 1-bit: Black and white only
The increased color depth and grayscale range provided by higher bit depths, such as 24-bit and 30/32-bit, enable more accurate and realistic image reproduction compared to lower bit depth options like 8-bit.
