Harmaasävymalli

Harmaasävymalli, also known as grayscale, is a color model where each color is represented by a single value representing its intensity. This value typically ranges from black to white. In digital imaging, grayscale images consist of only shades of gray. The most common representation uses 8 bits per pixel, allowing for 256 different shades of gray, from 0 (black) to 255 (white). Other bit depths are also possible, resulting in more or fewer shades.

Grayscale is often used in situations where color information is not necessary or would be detrimental. For example, some medical imaging techniques, like X-rays, produce grayscale images. In printing, particularly in black and white photography or newspapers, grayscale is the standard. It can also be a simplified representation of a color image, where the color information is discarded, leaving only the luminance. This can be useful for reducing file size or for certain image processing tasks. The conversion from a color image to grayscale is typically done by averaging the red, green, and blue components, or by using a weighted average that better reflects human perception of brightness.