The Pixel

Much like molecules are made up of atoms which in turn are made up of even smaller components, the elements of design can be further broken down into more basic bits - a drop of ink, a dot made with the tip of a pencil. In desktop publishing one of the tiniest elements is a pixel - short for picture element. A pixel is the digital equivalent of a drop of ink or that pencil dot. It's the smallest element that makes up what you see on your computer screen.