What does image resolution measure?

Image resolution specifically measures the number of pixels in an image, which directly influences the clarity and detail of that image. Higher pixel counts generally result in greater detail because more pixels allow for finer distinctions in color and sharpness.

When we refer to resolution, we are often discussing it in terms of dimensions such as width and height in pixels (e.g., 1920x1080). This shows how many individual pixels are used to create the image. The greater the number of pixels, the higher the resolution, leading to clearer images when displayed or printed, as there is more information available to represent the visual content.

While clarity of a graphic involves factors such as color depth and quality, which can also affect the overall appearance of an image, resolution is specifically quantified by the count of pixels. The size of an image file refers to how much storage space it occupies, which can be influenced by resolution but is not the same measure, while the compression ratio deals with how file size is reduced without necessarily defining pixel count.