Whether obtained by microscopes, space probes, or the human eye, the same basic tools can be applied to acquire, process, and analyze the data contained in images. Ideal for self study, The Image Processing Handbook, Sixth Edition, first published in 1992, raises the bar once again as the gold-standard reference on this subject. Using extensive new illustrations and diagrams, it offers a logically organized exploration of the important relationship between 2D images and the 3D structures they reveal.

The author focuses on helping readers visualize and compare processing and measurement operations and how they are typically combined in fields ranging from microscopy and astronomy to real-world scientific, industrial, and forensic applications. Presenting methods in the order in which they would be applied in a typical workflow―from acquisition to interpretation―this book compares a wide range of algorithms used to:

• Improve the appearance, printing, and transmission of an image
• Prepare images for measurement of the features and structures they reveal
• Isolate objects and structures, and measure their size, shape, color, and position
• Correct defects and deal with limitations in images
• Enhance visual content and interpretation of details
  

This handbook avoids dense mathematics, instead using new practical examples that better convey essential principles of image processing. This approach is more useful to develop readers’ grasp of how and why to apply processing techniques and ultimately process the mathematical foundations behind them.

Much more than just an arbitrary collection of algorithms, this is the rare book that goes beyond mere image improvement, presenting a wide range of powerful example images that illustrate techniques involved in color processing and enhancement. Applying his 50-year experience as a scientist, educator, and industrial consultant, John Russ offers the benefit of his image processing expertise for fields ranging from astronomy and biomedical research to food science and forensics. His valuable insights and guidance continue to make this handbook a must-have reference.