Pixels

Bitmapped graphics screens are divided into tiny regions called pixels. On black and white monitors, each pixel is either illuminated (white) or not illuminated (black). More sophisticated monochrome monitors provide a range of varying intensities for illuminating each pixel. So, instead of just black and white, there are shades of grey. The term grey-scale applies this kind of monitor. Colour monitors use a combination of the three primary colours, with varying intensities, to illuminate each pixel.