Realce

Realce is a Portuguese term that functions as both a noun and a verb form, rooted in the verb realçar, meaning to emphasize, highlight, or raise in prominence. In general use, realce denotes the action of making something stand out or the quality of being prominent.

In design and visual communication, realce refers to techniques that make elements more noticeable, such as contrasting colors, larger size, bolder weight, or other emphasis methods. It encompasses how a graphic, layout, or text is made to attract attention within a composition.

In image making and digital editing, realce is commonly used to describe the bright areas of an image. The term appears in software interfaces as “realce” or “realces,” indicating adjustments that lighten highlights or enhance the lighter regions of a photo.

In the arts, sculpture and architecture, realce can refer to features that are raised relative to a background surface. This sense overlaps with the concept of relief, and in some contexts the phrase alto relevo (high relief) is used to describe strongly protruding elements, with realce indicating the degree or quality of such prominence.

In rhetoric and language use, realce can denote prosodic or textual emphasis, signaling that a particular word or idea should be highlighted in speech or writing.

Etymology: the noun realce comes from the verb realçar, meaning to emphasize or highlight, derived from the notion of raising something back into notice.