The Image Window Scale Window

The options in the Scale Image window determine how the intensity value of each pixel stored in the image file is mapped to a display intensity value in the Image window. A scaling function determines the mapped values.

Scale Image gives you control over three parameters of the scaling function:

The minimum display intensity value
The maximum value
An exponent value that affects how values between the minimum and maximum display intensity values are determined.

Intensity values at or below the display minimum are all displayed with the same display value (e.g., 0 or black). Intensity values at or above the maximum are displayed as the same value (e.g., 255 or white).

You can drag a Min/Max display intensity handle left or right to change the display intensity. The Max Display Intensity handle defines the upper cutoff intensity, or display intensity of the brightest pixel, of pixels in the Image window. Min Display Intensity defines the lower cutoff intensity, or display intensity of the dimmest pixel. In general, lower the upper cutoff intensity to make spots appear brighter and increase the lower cutoff frequency to make spots appear dimmer.

You can also compare the minimum and maximum display intensity values to the minimum and maximum intensity values stored in the image file.

Note Changing intensity scaling values does not alter image data, only the display.

Open the Scale Image window by clicking the Scale Image Intensities button on the Image window.

Field or Button	Description
Wave	The channel to scale. The information in the Scale Image window applies to this channel. You can choose a channel by either clicking a Wave value in Scale Image, or by using the Channel Selector on the Image window.
Display Min/Max/Exp	The display intensity values of the dimmest and brightest display pixels in the Image window and the value of the exponent parameter. The exponent parameter determines how intensity values are distributed in the display. The minimum and maximum intensity values of pixels in the image file are the default values. Tip You can refine the display by dragging the display intensity handles in Scale Image. To change the exponent value, drag the lower portion of the intensity scaling function line (directly above the Min Display Intensity handle).
Wave Min/Max	Show the minimum and maximum values for the selected wavelength.
Section Min/Max/Mean	Show the minimum, maximum, and mean values for the current Z section.
Show Histogram	Displays a frequency plot of the distribution of pixel intensities in the image file. The Y-axis shows the number of pixels of a given intensity.
Log	Displays the intensity histogram using a log scale. The default is 1.
Apply To	Apply the scaling to the entire wave or just the current section.
Done	Closes Scale Image window.
Restore Default Scale	Applies default values to display scaling. The default values are the minimum and maximum intensity values of the image file, and an exponent parameter of one.