# Rendering: what it is and how it works · Zorraquino
> Rendering is the process by which software generates a visible image, frame or page from a 3D model or code.
URL: https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/rendering.html

# Rendering

Rendering is the process by which software generates a visible image, frame or page from source data, such as a 3D model or code

What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.

[The whole glossary](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary)

## What it is and how it works

In 3D design and animation, the render engine calculates lighting, materials, shadows and camera to produce photorealistic or stylised images; this can happen in real time, as in video games and product configurators, or frame by frame, as in animated films.

In web development, rendering means turning HTML, CSS and JavaScript into the page shown in the browser. Here a distinction is made between server-side and client-side rendering, a choice that affects loading speed and how search engines read the content.

Also known as

Render

Topics

[Technology and data](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/category/tecnologia-y-datos)

## Related concepts

- [Web browser](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/web-browser.html)
- [Web performance optimisation](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/web-performance-optimization-wpo.html)
- [HTML](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/html-language.html)