Image quality refers to various aspects of a photograph or other image with regard to how clear and sharp it appears in a given context. There are two major factors that determine this quality, which are those elements controlled by a camera taking an image and those that can be changed afterward. The camera used to take a picture often has a tremendous impact on image quality, with regard to sharpness, color accuracy, and pixel counts for digital photographs. Many factors can be controlled and changed after a picture is taken in post-processing, including contrast, color balance, and the removal or correction of errors captured in an image.
The term “image quality” can be used to refer to a wide range of different properties of an image, though it generally refers to how good a picture appears. This appearance can rely on quite a few different factors, including numerous qualities affected by the camera being used. Sharpness is usually greatly impacted by the camera a photographer uses, and this then is directly visible in a picture. Color accuracy is also integral to image quality through the ability of a camera to properly capture realistic colors.
Image quality is also directly impacted by the pixel count that a digital camera can capture. The total number of pixels is a measurement that relates to the size that a picture can be displayed at in a given resolution. Picture resolution is usually measured in terms of the Pixels Per Inch (PPI) of an image, and this impacts the maximum size for an image. A photograph that is 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) by 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) in size with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch, commonly used in commercial photography, would have 7.2 million pixels or 7.2 megapixels (MP) and require a camera capable of capturing that many pixels.
There are also a number of factors that impact image quality, which can be controlled or changed after a picture is taken. Contrast, for example, is the difference between the lights and dark tones within an image, which can impact clarity and shadow distinction. This can be changed and adjusted through post-processing methods and software for digital photographs. Color balance can also be altered after a picture is taken, to bring out the true colors in an image or change color information in a photograph.
Post-processing can also be used to improve image quality in a photograph by removing errors or flaws in the image. Such mistakes can be the result of a dirty lens, a strange object in an image, or other environmental conditions that may have produced undesired results in a photo. Removal or alteration of these flaws can be quite subtle or fairly dramatic, and may significantly increase or diminish the image quality of a picture.