Grayscale image

1. What is meant by grayscale image?
2. Is grayscale the same as black and white?
3. Why do we use grayscale in images?

What is meant by grayscale image?

In digital images, grayscale means that the value of each pixel represents only the intensity information of the light. Such images typically display only the darkest black to the brightest white. In other words, the image contains only black, white, and gray colors, in which gray has multiple levels.

Is grayscale the same as black and white?

Grayscale images are distinct from one-bit bi-tonal black-and-white images, which, in the context of computer imaging, are images with only two colors: black and white (also called bilevel or binary images). Grayscale images have many shades of gray in between.

Why do we use grayscale in images?

Binary might be too simple and it could not represent the picture character. Color might be too much and affect the processing speed. Thus, grayscale is chosen, which is in the mid of the two ends.