Glossary for Geospatial Science

contrast:  The difference between bright and dark values in the display or printout of a continuous tone (usually grayscale) image.  The stronger the contrast, the more difference between the brightest and darkest values.  Most images benefit from a process of contrast enhancement, which artificially increases the contrast.

TNTmips provides different methods of distributing intermediate display or print values.  The Linear contrast model assigns straight-line increments of intensity.  Many images look better when they are produced with the Normalized contrast model, which assigns intensity increments according to a normal distribution curve.