Hi,
I am a software developer. Sometimes in my work I deal with images. I need to learn everything about images i.e Pixels, Resolution, contrast, sharpness etc… and the differences between file types like jpg, bmb, etc… .
My question is,
What should I study to learn about such things? I do not know if they fall under the Graphics Design category or else?
I’d appreciate if you can provide me a link to a free “video” course about it.
Thank you.
Learn Fundamentals of Digital Image and Video Processing from … In this class you will learn the basic principles and tools used to process images and videos
From what?
I don’t know of a central repository for that information or an online reference or course. There are plenty of places online that will give you bits and pieces of what you’re asking, but it’s a large subject.
Do you know the difference between raster and vector? If not, look them up because most all image formats break down into one or the other, and they’re fundamentally different.
Do you know the difference between RGB and CMYK? If not, look that up too. RGB is an additive color space, where red, green a blue light are combined to form various colors, like on your television, computer or smartphone. CMYK is a subtractive color space, where light is reflected off surfaces to create colors, like with anything that’s printed. Knowing the difference between these two color spaces will take you down rabbit holes so extensive that you could spend weeks on it studying everything from the physics of wave-particle duality to the mundane memorization of screen angles in a CMYK rosette. In other words, look up RGB and CMYK, then start down some of those rabbit holes until they start veering off into unproductive directions.
TIFF, JPEG or JPG, GIF, PNG, AI, PSD, BMP, MOV, MP4, RAW, PDF, EPS, etc. Look them all up. Find out what each is and what’s it’s used for.
You specifically mentioned pixels. resolution, contrast and sharpness. If you don’t already know what a pixel is, you’re really starting from scratch, so look that up first. Resolution can be defined in a lot of ways, but it’s basically a measurement of how many pixels or output dots are jammed into a given space. Contrast might be described as the relative balance (or lack of balance) between dark and light in a histogram, which again, you can look up. Sharpness should be obvious, but artificial sharpening uses a software algorithm to exaggerate edges, which helps eliminate perceived blurriness to a degree.
Like I said, I don’t know of a comprehensive course on this stuff (maybe someone ought to make one for Lynda.com or Skillshare). You can, however, delve as deeply as you need to go just by doing Google searches. If you think you’re missing important information or run into questions where you’re finding fuzzy or conflicting answers, you can always ask here — someone will likely know or at least know what avenue you could pursue to find out more.
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