A brief overview of image processing
Most of you will be very familiar with computer images, formats, pixel depths, and maybe even convolutions. We will be discussing these concepts in the following sections; if you already know this, skip ahead. If this is new territory, read carefully, because everything we’ll do after is based on this information.
Images are stored in a computer as a two-dimensional array of pixels or picture elements. Each pixel is a tiny dot. Thousands or millions of tiny dots make up each image. Each pixel is a number or series of numbers that describe its color. If the image is only a grayscale or black-and-white image, then each pixel is represented by a single number that corresponds to how dark or light the tiny dot is. This is straightforward so far.
If the image is a color picture, then each dot has three numbers that are combined to make its color. Usually, these numbers are the intensity of Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) colors. The combination...