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Digital · Guided lesson

Apply a threshold with a stated boundary

About 19 minutes · 4 reading + 15 practice and checks
Time includes reading, practice, and questions. Extra videos or further study are optional.
See this course’s project requirements

A local original 4×4-to-64×64 pixel image tool with RGBA inspection, grayscale and threshold filters, preserved alpha and checked PNG export.

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • Produce a checked RGBA and coordinate-to-offset inspection table.
  • Demonstrate separate source/result buffers and a working original reset.
  • Calculate and verify equal-channel grayscale with alpha unchanged.
  • Produce a below/equal/above threshold matrix with preserved alpha.
  • Create and inspect the actual 64×64 PNG with intended crisp scaling and alpha behavior.
  • Deliver source, checked channel math, actual rendered/export evidence, and honest unavailable checks.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • The implementation or declared simulation follows the supplied contract and retains inspectable original inputs.
  • Normal, boundary and rejected cases are recorded with expected versus observed results.
  • The changed case has a correct explanation and does not rely on hidden state.
  • The project includes source, outputs, instructions and honest tool, privacy and verification limits.
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Before you begin

The idea in everyday life

Files pixels.html, pixel-filters.mjs and test-pixels.mjs supply an original 4×4 pattern: each row repeats red, green, blue, transparent white. Serve locally with python3 -m http.server 8765 --bind 127.0.0.1. Export scales the result to 64×64 PNG.

The idea

Thresholding maps the computed mean to black or white under a precise cutoff. This rule uses mean≥120 for white; below 120 becomes black.

Follow along

Apply a threshold with a stated boundary — original worked practice

Thresholding maps the computed mean to black or white under a precise cutoff. This rule uses mean≥120 for white; below 120 becomes black.

Files pixels.html, pixel-filters.mjs and test-pixels.mjs supply an original 4×4 pattern: each row repeats red, green, blue, transparent white. Serve locally with python3 -m http.server 8765 --bind 127.0.0.1. Export scales the result to 64×64 PNG.

  1. 1. Step 1

    Read the threshold branch and its >=120 condition.

    You should see: The boundary includes exactly 120 in the white class.

    Thresholding maps the computed mean to black or white under a precise cutoff. This rule uses mean≥120 for white; below 120 becomes black.

  2. 2. Step 2

    Calculate the primary-color mean 85 and apply the threshold.

    You should see: Opaque primaries become black with alpha 255.

    Thresholding maps the computed mean to black or white under a precise cutoff. This rule uses mean≥120 for white; below 120 becomes black.

  3. 3. Step 3

    Inspect transparent white: mean 255 produces white RGB while alpha stays 0.

    You should see: The transparent pixel remains transparent.

    Thresholding maps the computed mean to black or white under a precise cutoff. This rule uses mean≥120 for white; below 120 becomes black.

  4. 4. Step 4

    Record below/equal/above cutoff examples and run the threshold assertions.

    You should see: A boundary/alpha threshold matrix.

    Thresholding maps the computed mean to black or white under a precise cutoff. This rule uses mean≥120 for white; below 120 becomes black.

Now change one thing

A pixel mean is exactly 120. What output color-channel value follows?

Your work

What to finish

Produce a below/equal/above threshold matrix with preserved alpha.

Common mistake

Watch for this

Leaving the equality boundary unspecified or changing alpha while claiming a color-only filter.

How can I tell I understand it?

Demonstrate the rule: Thresholding maps the computed mean to black or white under a precise cutoff. This rule uses mean≥120 for white; below 120 becomes black. Use the supplied variant to distinguish a changed result from a broken implementation.

Try 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.

Not yet passed

You’ll get an explanation for each answer. Signed in? Your results save to your account.

1What does mean 119 become under the supplied threshold?
2What does mean 120 become?
3Why is the transparent white pixel still transparent after threshold?
0 of 3 answeredApply the lesson to a short question, then review the explanation.
4
Finish this lesson

Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.

Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.

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Sources and further reading

Explore the references behind this lesson.

developer.mozilla.org — Pixel_manipulation_with_canvas
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Relevant documented module/API behavior inspected during expansion authoring; actual execution evidence is recorded separately. No grant eligibility is established.

Access: Official page retrieved with the web reader on 2026-10-01. Documentation reading does not certify execution in every native tool or browser.

Reuse: Original local practice files, fictional data, worked examples and questions. Concepts paraphrased and linked; source exercises are not copied.

developer.mozilla.org — putImageData
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Relevant documented module/API behavior inspected during expansion authoring; actual execution evidence is recorded separately. No grant eligibility is established.

Access: Official page retrieved with the web reader on 2026-10-01. Documentation reading does not certify execution in every native tool or browser.

Reuse: Original local practice files, fictional data, worked examples and questions. Concepts paraphrased and linked; source exercises are not copied.

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