What Does “Compositor” Mean? From Desktop Software to Digital Art

If you have ever peeked under the hood of a computer operating system, edited a digital video, or looked into 3D animation, you might have run across the word compositor.

While the term pops up in several different creative and technical fields, it always shares a single core definition: A compositor is a system, software, or person that combines separate visual elements into a single, cohesive final image.