Definition: In animation, alpha can most easily be referenced by the opacity of an object. An object with lower alpha values is more transparent, while an object with higher alpha values is less transparent, more opaque. In programs such as Flash, you can manipulate the alpha values of symbols or shapes to turn them transparent or solid.
Most commonly alpha refers to the alpha channel, which is a layer of information / channel stored in the image file and containing information about transparency.
Alpha also controls color expression when pixels on the RGB spectrum are overlaid to create new colors. For example, if red and green pixels are overlaid on each other, differences in alpha / transparency for either color would determine the resultant color, the brightness of it, and the opacity of it.
Also Known As: opacity
