What is color depth?

Color depth, also known as bit depth, refers to the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in an image. It determines the range of colors that can be displayed; for example, an 8-bit color depth allows for 256 colors, while a 24-bit depth can represent over 16 million colors. Higher color depth results in smoother gradients and more accurate color representation, making it important for high-quality images and graphics.