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USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 8
Glossary
Last updated 7/26/2011
phosphor The substance that coats the interior surface of a CRT monitor. It emits light in response to electrical
stimulation and affects how colors appear on the screen. Over time, changes in the phosphor make it necessary to
recalibrate or reprofile the monitor.
Photomerge A family of features for creating a single composite image from multiple source images.
Photoshop raw format A format designed to accommodate images saved in undocumented formats, such as those
used in scientific applications. (This format differs from
“camera raw format” on page 292.)
PICT A file format for storing digital images in Mac OS.
pixel The basic, rectangular unit of data that a digital image consists of. The edges of pixels can produce a saw-tooth
pattern unless anti-aliasing is used. (See also
“bitmap image” on page 291.)
pixel dimensions The number of pixels along the width and height of an image. This is a measure of the amount of
image data in the photo, not its physical size when printed or displayed on a monitor.
pixels per inch (ppi) A measure of image resolution stored in a camera or computer file. High ppi settings produce
photographs with fine detail and large file size. (See also
“dots per inch (dpi)” on page 294.)
PixMap A bitmap image stored in your computer’s memory.
plug-in module A small software program developed by Adobe or third parties to add functionality to Adobe
products.
PNG-24 Portable Network Graphics. An image format that supports 24-bit color. Like the JPEG format, PNG-24
preserves photographic detail. Unlike JPEG, it supports 256 levels of transparency.
PNG-8 Portable Network Graphics. A bitmap image format that uses 8-bit color. Like the GIF format, PNG-8
efficiently compresses areas of solid color while preserving sharp detail in line art, logos, or type.
point The default unit of measurement for type, for instance Times Roman Regular, 12 points.
pointillism A style of painting in which paint is applied in very small dots that cannot be discerned individually at a
distance. The eye merges the dots into the perceived color.
posterize To reduce the number of continuous tones in an image. Posterization results in a flat, cartoon-like image.
The effect can be deliberately applied but sometimes results from overcompression.
PostScript A programming language developed by Adobe that describes the appearance of text, graphic shapes, and
sampled images on printed or displayed pages.
printable character A text object that can be printed.
printer profiles Profiles that describe how printers reproduce colors.
printer resolution The fineness of detail that a printer can render in an image. It is measured in ink dots per inch (dpi).
Generally a resolution of 240 dpi provides good results when you print high-quality photos on an inkjet printer. (See
also
“resolution” on page 300 and “monitor resolution” on page 298.)
profile Information about the color space of a device, application, or photo file. An ICC device color profile allows an
image’s color data to be converted so that color is reproduced faithfully on that specific device. (See also
“color
management” on page 293.)
progressive scan A process of displaying images on-screen that draws 60 complete frames of video from left to right
every second. Progressive scan creates a cleaner, clearer picture than interlaced video.
project A product that you make using your photos in Photoshop Elements. You can create slide shows, greeting
cards, calendars, and more.
Project Bin Location where thumbnails of all open images appear. Some workflows, such as a Faces session, require
that you select images from the Project Bin. To change the active image, double-click on a thumbnail.
