Posterize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To reduce the number of tones or colors in a digital image so that it appears simplified with distinct bands of flat color instead of smooth gradations
2. To convert a photograph or image into a form with fewer color levels, creating a stylized effect with clearly separated color areas
3. To process an image by limiting its color palette to a smaller set of distinct values, producing a graphic appearance with visible color transitions

Etymology: "Posterize" is a case where the surprising part is how literally the sense came from its parent word. It is built from "poster" plus the suffix "-ize," which forms verbs meaning to do or make something. The original sense was technical: to reduce the number of colours in an image, the process used to produce posters with a limited palette of flat tones. The word then took on a second, much more playful meaning in basketball. A slam dunk so spectacular that it was worth printing as a photograph on a poster came to be described as posterizing the defender who was leaped over. LeBron James's dunk over Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, in a game on March 21, 2022, is an example of the usage. The two senses connect through the poster itself: one describes how a picture was simplified for printing, the other how a play was dramatic enough to end up on one.

Synonyms: stylize, simplify