pixelated

Pixelated refers to an image that displays discernible pixels, often appearing as a grid of colored squares. In digital imaging, a pixel is the smallest addressable unit of a picture on a display or in a bitmap. Pixelation occurs when the image is magnified beyond its native resolution or when the encoding produces blocky artifacts.

The most common cause is low resolution relative to display size or heavy upscaling. When a raster image is scaled up without sufficient data, the viewer can see the individual pixels. Some scaling algorithms, like nearest-neighbor interpolation, emphasize block boundaries and produce pronounced pixel blocks, while others create smoothing or blur, not pixelation per se.

Pixelation is also used intentionally. In media censorship, faces or sensitive information are obscured by applying a pixelated mosaic. In art and game design, pixel art embraces visible pixels as a stylistic choice, typically using a limited color palette and square modules to evoke retro games.

Beyond simple upscaling, compression artifacts from formats such as JPEG can collapse detail into blocky patches, contributing to a pixelated look, especially at high compression. Advanced editors may offer dedicated pixelation or mosaic filters that replace regions with blocks.

The term "pixel" is a portmanteau of picture element, and, along with raster graphics, underpins digital imaging. Pixelation remains a common phenomenon across screens with varying resolutions, from mobile displays to high-definition panels, reflecting the relationship between source data and display size.