How Big is a Pixel?
Every image you see is made of tiny colored squares.
Let's zoom in and find them.
Use scroll wheel or pinch to zoom
Every image you see is made of tiny colored squares.
Let's zoom in and find them.
Use scroll wheel or pinch to zoom
This picture looks smooth and colorful. But what is it really made of? Scroll to zoom in and find out!
Notice how edges start looking blocky? That's because we're getting close to the building blocks of digital images.
These colored squares are pixels - short for "picture elements". This image has only 1,024 of them!
Real photos have millions of pixels
Each pixel is made of 3 tiny lights: Red, Green, and Blue.
By mixing different amounts, we can make any color!
Drag the sliders to see how RGB creates colors
Tap to see how different screens arrange pixels
Used in: Most monitors, TVs, laptops
Backlight shines through liquid crystals with vertical RGB stripes.
💡 Can't show true black - backlight always leaks through slightly!
Used in: Samsung phones, VR headsets
Diamond pattern with shared R/B subpixels. Green is smaller but more numerous (our eyes see green best).
💡 Uses 33% fewer subpixels - saves power and extends screen life!
Used in: LG OLED TVs, premium phones
Each subpixel emits its own light - no backlight needed. Can turn off completely.
💡 Perfect blacks and infinite contrast - pixels literally turn off!
Used in: MacBooks, iMacs, iPhones, iPads
High-density LCD with pixels so small (220+ PPI) your eye can't see them individually.
💡 "Retina" means pixels are too small to see at normal viewing distance!
Now you know the secret of digital images
This is what pixels actually look like under a microscope:
LCD screens have vertical RGB stripes. OLED screens use different patterns!
Put your new knowledge into practice!