Gather basic raster dataset information

The following basic information about raster datasets is included on the Properties dialog box:

• Format—The file type used to store the image and raster dataset. Different file types have different properties and requirements.
• Number of bands—The number of spatially coincident layers in the image. Imagery has at least one band, and may have hundreds of bands.
• Data type—The data type, also known as pixel type, pertains to the type of values stored in the image, such as signed integer, unsigned integer, or floating point. Integers are whole numbers; floating point data has decimals.
• Data depth—The data depth, also known as pixel or bit depth, determines the possible range of values stored in each image band. A depth of eight stores 2⁸ = 256 values (0 to 255), while a depth of 16 stores 2¹⁶ = 65,536 values (0 to 65,535).
• Statistics—The minimum value, maximum value, mean of all values, and standard deviation of the image.
• Extents—The left, right, top, and bottom coordinates of the raster dataset.
• Projection—This part of the raster's coordinate system is in the Spatial Reference section. An <Undefined> raster may mean it's not projected or not yet defined.
• Size of the raster—This can be the number of rows and columns of the raster dataset or the uncompressed size.

Learn more about raster dataset properties

To view the amount of disk space used by the raster, open Windows Explorer, right-click the raster file, click Properties, and review the Size and Size on disk property values.

To view additional information about the image or raster dataset in the dialog pane, right-click on the image file name in the Catalog or Contents pane. The information included in the dialog box can answer questions such as the following:

• Where did the raster come from?
• What does the data represent?
• What is the purpose of the data? What will it be used for?
• Was there any special processing used to create the raster?
• What is the history of the raster: what has been done to it?

This information is included in the raster dataset's metadata if it has been provided.

To access the metadata in the Catalog pane, right-click the raster dataset and click the View Metadata tab or the Edit Metadata tab.