# Visual artifact > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Visual_artifact > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Visual_artifact.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_artifact > Source revision: 1332295156 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Anomaly in digital graphics or imagery A screenshot of a Microsoft [Windows XP](/source/Windows_XP) application displaying a visual artifact with repeated frames **Visual artifacts** (also **artefacts**) are [anomalies](/source/Artifact_(error)) apparent during visual representation as in [digital graphics](/source/Digital_graphics) and other forms of [imagery](/source/Image), especially [photography](/source/Photography) and [microscopy](/source/Microscopy). ## In digital graphics A [retinography](/source/Ophthalmoscopy). The gray spot in the center is a shadow artifact. - [Image quality factors](/source/Image_quality#Image_quality_factors), different types of visual artifacts - [Compression artifacts](/source/Compression_artifact) - [Digital artifacts](/source/Digital_artifact), visual artifacts resulting from digital image processing - [Noise](/source/Image_noise) - [Screen-door effect](/source/Screen-door_effect), also known as fixed-pattern noise (FPN), a visual artifact of digital projection technology - [Ghosting (television)](/source/Ghosting_(television)) - [Screen burn-in](/source/Screen_burn-in) - [Distortion](/source/Distortion) - [Silk screen effect](/source/Silk_screen_effect) - [Rainbow effect](/source/Rainbow_effect) - [Screen tearing](/source/Screen_tearing) - [Moiré pattern](/source/Moir%C3%A9_pattern) - [Color banding](/source/Color_banding) ## In video entertainment Many people who use their computers as a hobby experience artifacting due to a hardware or software malfunction. The cases can differ but the usual causes are: - Temperature issues, such as failure of cooling fan. - Unsuited [video card](/source/Video_card) (graphics card) drivers. - Drivers that have values that the graphics card is not suited with. - [Overclocking](/source/Overclocking) beyond the capabilities of the particular video card. - [Software bugs](/source/Software_bug) in the application or operating system. The differing cases of visual artifacting can also differ between scheduled task(s). ## In photography Circular artifacts caused by backscatter from raindrops These effects can occur in both [analog](/source/Analog_photography) and [digital photography](/source/Digital_photography). - [Chromatic aberration](/source/Chromatic_aberration) due to [optical dispersion](/source/Optical_dispersion) through a [lens](/source/Lens), leading to color fringes at high-contrast boundaries in a photograph - [Purple fringing](/source/Purple_fringing) - [Motion blur](/source/Motion_blur) - [Near-camera reflection](/source/Backscatter_(photography)), visual artifacts caused by the [backscatter](/source/Backscatter) of light by unfocused particles ## In microscopy Confocal laser scanning fluorescence micrograph of [thale cress](/source/Arabidopsis_thaliana) anther (part of [stamen](/source/Stamen)). The picture shows among other things a nice red flowing collar-like structure just below the anther. However, an intact thale cress stamen does not have such collar, this is a fixation artifact: the stamen has been cut below the picture frame, and [epidermis](/source/Epidermis_(botany)) (upper layer of cells) of stamen stalk has peeled off, forming a non-characteristic structure. Photo: Heiti Paves from [Tallinn University of Technology](/source/Tallinn_University_of_Technology). In [microscopy](/source/Microscopy), an artifact is an apparent structural detail that is caused by the processing of the specimen and is thus not a legitimate feature of the specimen. In [light microscopy](/source/Optical_microscope), artifacts may be produced by air bubbles trapped under the [slide](/source/Microscope_slide)'s cover slip.[1] In [electron microscopy](/source/Electron_microscope), distortions may be produced in the drying out of the specimen. [Staining](/source/Staining) can cause the appearance of solid chemical deposits that may be seen as structures inside the cell. Different techniques including [freeze-fracturing](/source/Electron_microscope#Sample_preparation) and [cell fractionation](/source/Cell_fractionation) may be used to overcome the problems of artifacts.[1] A *crush artifact* is an artificial elongation and distortion seen in [histopathology](/source/Histopathology) and [cytopathology](/source/Cytopathology) studies, presumably because of iatrogenic compression of tissues. Distortion can be caused by the slightest compression of tissue and can provide difficulties in diagnosis.[2][3] It may cause chromatin to be squeezed out of nuclei.[2] Inflammatory and tumor cells are most susceptible to crush artifacts.[2] - Cellulose **contamination**, in [H&E stain](/source/H%26E_stain) and polarized light - Cardiac muscle (bottom) with **contamination** from thyroid tissue (center) - **Crush** artifact from compression by forceps on the tissue sample - **Folding** artifacts (white arrows) and a crush artifact (black arrow, with [cytoplasmic hypereosinophilia](/source/Cytoplasmic_hypereosinophilia) and [nuclear pleomorphism](/source/Nuclear_pleomorphism)) from a needle - **Tearing** artifacts, such as can be caused by: - Microtomy with a nick or blemish in the knife edge.[4] - Traction of the sections. - Too much or too little alcohol dehydration.[4] - Sectioning calcified parts, which can be decalcified or removed.[4] - **Formalin pigment** artifacts - Air bubble entrapment artifact in a shoulder joint biopsy - **Staining** artifacts by residual wax, resulting in pale areas where cellular structures are not discernible - A **separation** artifact in top image makes the tumor look incompletely excised, but the next [microtomy](/source/Microtomy) level (bottom image) shows a [surgical margin](/source/Surgical_margin) of connective tissue. - **Stacking** of cells on top of each other gives a dark look, and in this breast tissue it may mimic microcalcifications. - Pap stained smear of a monocyte with nuclear smearing or smudging artifact, seen as a tail-like extension of nuclear material - [Small cell carcinoma](/source/Small_cell_carcinoma) is a cancer where the presence of smudging is a clue to the diagnosis.[5] ## In radiography In [projectional radiography](/source/Projectional_radiography), visual artifacts that can constitute disease mimics include jewelry, clothes and [skin folds](/source/Skin_fold).[6] - A [hip fracture](/source/Hip_fracture) (black arrow) next to a skin fold (white arrow) - [Bed sheets](/source/Bed_sheets) looking like lung opacities on a [chest radiograph](/source/Chest_radiograph) ## In magnetic resonance imaging Main articles: [MRI artifact](/source/MRI_artifact) and [Ghosting (medical imaging)](/source/Ghosting_(medical_imaging)) In [Magnetic resonance imaging](/source/Magnetic_resonance_imaging), artifacts can be classified as patient-related, signal processing-dependent or hardware (machine)-related.[7] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Kent_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Kent_1-1) Kent, Michael (2000). *Advanced Biology* (Repr. ed.). Oxford: [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press). p. 64. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0199141959](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0199141959). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Chatterjee2014_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Chatterjee2014_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Chatterjee2014_2-2) Chatterjee, Shailja (2014). ["Artefacts in histopathology"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4211218). *Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology*. **18** (4): S111–S116. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4103/0973-029X.141346](https://doi.org/10.4103%2F0973-029X.141346). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0973-029X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0973-029X). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [4211218](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4211218). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [25364159](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25364159). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Komanduri S, Swanson G, Keefer L, Jakate S (December 2009). "Use of a new jumbo forceps improves tissue acquisition of Barrett's esophagus surveillance biopsies". *Gastrointestinal Endoscopy*. **70** (6): 1072–8.e1. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.gie.2009.04.009](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.gie.2009.04.009). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19595312](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19595312). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-TaqiSami2018_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-TaqiSami2018_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-TaqiSami2018_4-2) Taqi, SyedAhmed; Sami, SyedAbdus; Sami, LateefBegum; Zaki, SyedAhmed (2018). ["A review of artifacts in histopathology"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6097380). *Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology*. **22** (2): 279. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_125_15](https://doi.org/10.4103%2Fjomfp.JOMFP_125_15). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0973-029X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0973-029X). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [6097380](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6097380). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [30158787](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30158787). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Image by Mikael Häggström, MD. Source for findings: Caroline I.M. Underwood, M.D., Carolyn Glass, M.D., Ph.D. ["Lung - Small cell carcinoma"](https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/lungtumorsmallcell.html). *Pathology Outlines*.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) Last author update: 20 September 2022 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Page 46](https://books.google.com/books?id=NItlwYj0aLcC&pg=PA46) in: Michael Darby, Nicholas Maskell, Anthony Edey, Ladli Chandratreya (2012). *Pocket Tutor Chest X-Ray Interpretation*. JP Medical Ltd. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781907816062](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781907816062).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-ErasmusHurter2004_7-0)** Erasmus, L.J.; Hurter, D.; Naude, M.; Kritzinger, H.G.; Acho, S. (2004). ["A short overview of MRI artifacts"](https://doi.org/10.4102%2Fsajr.v8i2.127). *South African Journal of Radiology*. **8** (2): 13. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4102/sajr.v8i2.127](https://doi.org/10.4102%2Fsajr.v8i2.127). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2078-6778](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2078-6778). [(CC-BY 4.0)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Visual artifact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_artifact) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_artifact?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.