kilopixel

Kilopixel (abbreviated KP) is a term used primarily in digital imaging and display technology to denote a resolution measured in thousands of pixels. One kilopixel equals 1,000 pixels, typically expressed as a product of the horizontal and vertical pixel counts. For example, a display resolution of 1024×768 pixels is often described as having approximately 1.0 KP, because the product of the dimensions, 786,432 pixels, is close to one thousand, although the precise product is sometimes rounded for marketing purposes.

The concept of kilopixels gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s when computer monitors and consumer electronic displays began to be marketed by their pixel count rather than by physical dimensions or pixel density. Similarly, early digital camera sensors were advertised using kilopixel figures, such as 1.5 KP or 2 KP, to indicate the total number of photo-sensing elements incorporated into the sensor array.

In contemporary usage the term has largely been supplanted by megapixel (MP) and gigapixel (GP) descriptors. Megapixels, representing one million pixels, provide a clearer sense of resolution for most modern high‑definition displays and digital cameras. Nonetheless, kilopixel remains a useful shorthand in contexts where pixel counts are comparatively modest, such as low‑resolution webcams, embedded display modules, or old analog-to-digital converting devices.

The formal SI unit for digital resolution is "pixel," with no sub‑unit or prefix. Kilopixel and megapixel are informal compound names derived from the metric prefixes kilo- (10³) and mega- (10⁶). They are widely understood by professionals and consumers alike, but are not part of the official SI nomenclature.