Grauabstufungen

Grauabstufungen, also known as grayscale or shades of gray, refers to a range of colors between pure white and pure black. In digital imaging and printing, this range is typically represented by a series of discrete steps, where each step corresponds to a different intensity of gray. These steps are often quantified by numerical values, with 0 usually representing black and the maximum value representing white. For example, in an 8-bit grayscale image, there are 256 possible shades of gray, ranging from 0 to 255.

The perception of grayscale can be influenced by the number of distinct steps available. Images with fewer steps may appear posterized or banded, while images with a large number of steps exhibit smooth transitions between tones, creating a more photorealistic appearance. Grayscale is commonly used in various applications, including black and white photography, medical imaging like X-rays, and in situations where color is not essential or would be distracting. It simplifies image processing and reduces file sizes compared to full-color images.