| push process | a development technique that increases the speed of the film being processed |
| PSD | PhotoShop (PSD) is the format produced by the Adobe PhotoShop graphics editor. Note that the PSD specification changes with every whole number version release of PhotoShop, but is backwards compatible; so you must have the latest version to be sure of being able to open any PSD file. |
| Program | (P) Program mode. Exposure mode that allows the camera determines the optimum shutter speed/aperture combination for you. |
| Prime lens | A lens attached directly to the camera body |
| Primary Colors | Red, Green, and Blue |
| Pre-press | Stage where digital information is translated into output suitable for the printing process |
| pre-flash | Many digicams employ a slightly different system for TTL exposure. First they fire a pre-flash, which is measured, and they calculate exposure based on that. This happens so quickly that the eye notices only one flash. |
| PPI | Points per inch. Same thing as DPI |
| PostScript | A page description language for medium to high resolution print devices. The language consists of software commands and protocols that allow you to send data (including picture and font information) from your computer to the printer for output. |
| post-production | a euphemism for editing in a photo manipulation program. An excuse for sloppy work e.g. 'we'll fix it in post!' |
| Postproduction | Video or audio editing |
| Posterize | Creates a poster effect on the bitmap by quantizing the bitmaps colors to a specified number of color levels per plane. i.e. the image is made out of discrete blobs of color with obvious boundaries between them. |
| Portrait Lens | A lens of longer focal length than standard. Typically 100mm + (on the 35mm system). |
| Port | Optical quality window in an underwater housing (by analogy with a ship's 'port hole'). |
| Plaster | Molds an image from 3D plaster, and then colorizes the result using the foreground and background color. Dark areas are raised, light areas are sunken (or reverse the effect by choosing the Invert option). |
| Pixel Depth | The amount of computer data required to store the color information for each pixel. |
| Pixel | Picture element: a dot or a small area of a picture that carries the three attributes: hue, color saturation, and brightness. Any picture can be made up of an array of dots with these attributes, viewed from a distance that the dots are not visible. |
| Pincushion Distortion | Pincushion Distortion is a problem associated with telephoto lenses whereby the image appears distorted inwards. |
| Photoshop | The brand leader in digtal image manipulation program produced by Adobe Software. You Hoover the floor, Google the Net, and Photoshop your images! When we use Photoshop we mean any such program. |
| Photomerge | Adobe’s own panoramic stitching utility |
| Photocopy | Simulates the effect of photocopying an image. Large areas of darkness tend to copy only around their edges, and midtones fall away to either solid black or white. |
| Perspective | Attribute of lens focal length that determines the apparent relationship between foreground and background i.e. compresses or exaggerates it |
| PDF | Portable Document Format is a flexible, cross-platform, cross-application file format. Based on the PostScript imaging model, PDF files accurately display and preserve fonts, page layouts, and both vector and bitmap graphics. In addition, PDF files can contain electronic document search and navigation features such as electronic links. |
| PCM | Pulsecode modulation. Digital audio recording mode used by tape recorders. |
| PCD | PCD images are stored in Kodak’s Image Pac format, which provides five versions of each image at different resolutions. |
| PCB | Printed circuit board. |
| PC | Photo Coax. A small circular connector used in conjunction with manual flash equipment. |
| Path | The outline of a vector shape |
| Parallax | The apparent difference in position of an object when seen from two different viewpoints. |
| Pantone | Used for printing solid-color and CMYK inks. The Pantone Matching System includes 1,114 solid colors. To select a color, use a PANTONE Color guide, printed on coated, uncoated, and matte stocks. |
| Pan | (Panning) The movement of a film or video camera (rotating on a vertical axis) |
| PalmCorder | A Camcorder which can sit on the palm of the hand. |
| Palette | A special dialog with a specialised editing purpose. By default palettes appear screen right. They can be stacked with others palettes and docked. Choose the palette name in the Window menu to open it. To show or hide all palettes, press shortcut Shift + Tab. |
| PAL | Phase Alternating Line. The color television system used in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. |
| paint bucket tool | fills adjacent pixels that are similar in color value to the pixels you click. |
| PackBits | (ImageReady) lossless compression that uses a run-length compression scheme; supported by the TIFF file format in ImageReady only. |
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