This chapter provides an overview of image processing as the core software component of machine vision. It traces the historical development of analogue and digital imaging technologies, from early photography and television to CT, satellite imaging, and modern multimedia systems. Fundamental concepts such as sampling, quantisation, colour representation, and common image and video formats are introduced. The chapter also outlines essential image processing algorithms—including enhancement, segmentation, edge detection, and feature extraction—and discusses the challenges of applying them across diverse environments. Together, these foundations form the basis for practical machine vision and modern intelligent imaging systems.