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PUBLICATIONS

What does the pixel measure?

Published

Author(s)

David W. Flater

Abstract

The pixel is often used as a unit of measurement in information technology. Unfortunately, there is not a simple, consistently-applicable answer to what it is a measure of. This report analyzes the pixel unit through the lens of metrology and shows how one entity, the pixel, actually gives rise to a group of different units.
Citation
NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 8456
Report Number
8456
NIST Pub Series
NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)
Pub Type
NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8456
Local Download
Metrology and Information technology

Citation

Flater, D. (2023), What does the pixel measure?, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8456, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=935078 (Accessed October 14, 2025)

Issues

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Created January 11, 2023
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