Banding in Photoshop CC

redddraggon

redddraggon

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So I normally just use Lightroom, but I'm giving the Creative Cloud a go. I always shoot in RAW and never edit JPEGs (only exporting at the end).

On this occasion I edited a photo (14bit NEF losslessy compressed) in Lightroom 5 and then exported to PS CC and upon adding a manual vignette using an exposure adjustment layer I have noticeable banding in the gradient.

banding.jpg


Any ideas why this happening and how to avoid it in the future?
 
1) Use 16 bit to help avoid banding
2) adding some noise will usually help
3) be certain the banding is actually there*

*it may be the monitor struggling to display the graduations, rather than the picture
 
It's a 16bit TIFF. The banding is definitely there in PS CC, but when I create a gradient in LR there's no banding. :shrug:
 
I get no banding here when working in 16bit and doing exactly the same thing.

Just to test this. Create a blank, fully black, empty 16bit document in PS, then using the paint brush too set to fill about a third of the frame, 100% opacity, hardness set to minimum, click the frame to make a single soft circle. Is there still banding?
 
Pookeyhead said:
I get no banding here when working in 16bit and doing exactly the same thing.

Just to test this. Create a blank, fully black, empty 16bit document in PS, then using the paint brush too set to fill about a third of the frame, 100% opacity, hardness set to minimum, click the frame to make a single soft circle. Is there still banding?
Click to expand...

Looks like it:

blacktowhite.jpg
 
Ok.. posting a screen grab is irrelevant BTW becase when you save it as a JPEG it becomes 8bit.

Was it like this on the screen though.. at the time.. not after saving as JPEG?

Having said that.... even a JPEG shouldn't have that level of banding.

Here's what I get.

aFVrpda.jpg


Imgur has added a little banding, sure, as they really compress it, but only slightly. Viewing this 8bit JPEG here still has very little banding apparent.

You do have Windows colour settings at at least 24bit, yes?
 
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Yes I understand about Jpeg being 8bit but the screenshot shows exactly the same banding as I see on the screen, that's how bad the banding is!

All my screens are set to 32bit colour.


I do a gradient in LR5 and I get no visible banding, not even when I output to JPEG:

nobandinginlr.jpg



I can't replicate the banding in LR5 :shrug:
 
So I made a gradient in PS CC, massively obvious banding, saved the file as 16bit Tiff, banding still massively visible. View file in Lightroom and the banding isn't there?
 
Could be PS's display settings then.... got 30bit checked?

60MYiu1.jpg


Although.... that should only effect the display.... not the actual file. Even if it looked banded on your display, if the file is correct, it should look OK here.


Even at 8 bit.. no real banding here. Here's an actual photo of mine at 8bit. At 16bit there is absolutely zero banding. Clearly a PS setting somewhere. I'll keep looking for a solution.

http://i.imgur.com/wHajvLl.jpg
 
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I have tried both 30bit selected and unselected but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

:shrug:
 
Have you tried switching "dither" on or off when using the gradient tool? It's up at the top on the context bar when the gradient tool is active.


That doesn't explain the brush problem though.

Just to be certain... can you do what you did before with the big soft brush, but don't take a screen grab of what you see... Instead, just save the file, and upload it to flickr, and post a link to it.

I suspect this could still be a GPU/Profile issue.
 
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daugirdas said:
What are your export settings from Lightroom?
Click to expand...

full size full quality TIFF.


That doesn't stop the banding I see in PS CC.

I've spent ages years in LR exporting as full size/qual JPEG in LR and I've not seen an issue.
 
Maybe it's a bug in CC? It's only been out for a day after all. I get no such issue in CS6.
 
redddraggon said:
full size full quality TIFF.


That doesn't stop the banding I see in PS CC.

I've spent ages years in LR exporting as full size/qual JPEG in LR and I've not seen an issue.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it is 16bit ProPhotoRGB?

Try opening the exported TIFF in preview or other simple viewer - do you still see banding?
 
daugirdas said:
Are you sure it is 16bit ProPhotoRGB?

Try opening the exported TIFF in preview or other simple viewer - do you still see banding?
Click to expand...

It doesn't have to be ProPhoto... that's a colorspace, and nothingh to do with bit depth. 16bit is 16bit whether it's sRGB, Adobe 1998, or ProPhoto.
 
I still cant help but think this is a GPU issue. I think the OP should repeat the exercise with the big soft brush, then, regardless of how it looks, do NOT screen grab it... actually use Save As, and save the file, and host it online so I can look at it.
 
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