Halfheight

Halfheight, often written as half-height, is a relative measurement describing something whose height is half of a predefined reference height. Because halfheight is not a formal standard, its precise meaning depends on the domain and context in which it is used.

In imaging and video processing, half-height typically means reducing the vertical dimension by 50%. An image with original height H becomes H/2 tall; to preserve the aspect ratio, the width is scaled by the same factor. Cropping to half-height is another common operation, where the top or bottom portion is removed so the remaining height is half the original.

In user interface design and web development, half-height refers to a component whose height equals half that of its container or of the viewport. This can be implemented with height: 50% or height: 50vh in CSS, depending on whether the basis is the parent element or the viewport.

In video games and sprite art, a half-height sprite is one that is half the height of a standard reference sprite. Such assets are used for smaller enemies, UI elements, or to create layered parallax effects.

Notes: the term is descriptive rather than standardized; practitioners should define the reference height when using it. See also scaling, resizing, and 50 percent.