Monochrome Definition The word "monochrome" literally means "one color." Therefore, a monochrome image only includes one color, but may contain many shades. In computing, "monochrome" typically refers to a two-tone image, rather than one with several shades of a single color. For example, a monochrome monitor uses one color for the background and another to display text or images on the screen. Before color monitors became standard, most computers had monochrome displays. These displays often h...

Halftone Definition A halftone, or halftone image, is an image comprised of discrete dots rather than continuous tones. When viewed from a distance, the dots blur together, creating the illusion of continuous lines and shapes. By halftoning an image (converting it from a bitmap to a halftone), it can be printed using less ink. Therefore, many newspapers and magazines use halftoning to print pages more efficiently. Originally, halftoning was performed mechanically by printers that printed images...

CMYK Definition Stands for "Cyan Magenta Yellow Black." These are the four basic colors used for printing color images. Unlike RGB (red, green, blue), which is used for creating images on your computer screen, CMYK colors are "subtractive." This means the colors get darker as you blend them together. Since RGB colors are used for light, not pigments, the colors grow brighter as you blend them or increase their intensity. Technically, adding equal amounts of pure cyan, magenta, and yellow should...

Multimedia Definition As the name implies, multimedia is the integration of multiple forms of media. This includes text, graphics, audio, video, etc. For example, a presentation involving audio and video clips would be considered a "multimedia presentation." Educational software that involves animations, sound, and text is called "multimedia software." CDs and DVDs are often considered to be "multimedia formats" since they can store a lot of data and most forms of multimedia require a lot of dis...

Hertz Definition Hertz (abbreviated: Hz) is the standard unit of measurement used for measuring frequency. Since frequency is measured in cycles per second, one hertz equals one cycle per second. Hertz is used commonly used to measure wave frequencies, such as sound waves, light waves, and radio waves. For example, the average human ear can detect sound waves between 20 and 20,000 Hz. Sound waves close to 20 Hz have a low pitch and are called "bass" frequencies. Sound waves above 5,000 Hz have ...

Kilohertz Definition One kilohertz (abbreviated "kHz") is equal to 1,000 hertz. Like hertz, kilohertz is used to measure frequency, or cycles per second. Since one hertz is one cycle per second, one kilohertz is equal to 1,000 cycles per second. Kilohertz is commonly used to measure the frequencies of sound waves, since the audible spectrum of sound frequencies is between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. For example, middle C (C4) on a piano keyboard produces a frequency of 261.63 Hz. The C key two octaves ab...

RGB Definition Stands for "Red Green Blue." RGB refers to three hues of light that can be mixed together to create different colors. Combining red, green, and blue light is the standard method of producing color images on screens, such as TVs, computer monitors, and smartphone screens. The RGB color model is an "additive" model. When 100% of each color is mixed together, it creates white light. When 0% of each color is combined, no light is generated, creating black. It is sometimes contrasted ...

Virtual Memory Definition Memory is hardware that your computer uses to load the operating system and run programs. It consists of one or more RAM chips that each have several memory modules. The amount of real memory in a computer is limited to the amount of RAM installed. Common memory sizes are 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB. Because your computer has a finite amount of RAM, it is possible to run out of memory when too many programs are running at one time. This is where virtual memory comes in. Virt...

Default Definition Default is an adjective that describes a standard setting or configuration. While it is not specific to computers, it is commonly used in IT terminology. In computing, "default" may describe several things, including hardware, software, and network configurations. A default hardware configuration (or "default config") is a prebuilt system with standard specifications. This includes standard components such as the CPU, RAM, storage device, and video card. Retail stores typical...

OLAP Definition Stands for "Online Analytical Processing." OLAP allows users to analyze database information from multiple database systems at one time. While relational databases are considered to be two-dimensional, OLAP data is multidimensional, meaning the information can be compared in many different ways. For example, a company might compare their computer sales in June with sales in July, then compare those results with the sales from another location, which might be stored in a different...