Simple gradient – why pixelated

A
Posted By
Anamorphy
Dec 27, 2006
Views
1833
Replies
10
Status
Closed
Hello, I just do one simple gradient, but as u see in picture, there´s some problem. Can I fix that? It´s the same after exporting to another format. Thanks for solving.

Picture:
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gradient pixelated simple

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chrisjbirchall
Dec 27, 2006
but as u see in picture…

I can’t actually, it’s too dark. But I know what it is you are driving at.

It’s the way of digital images, I’m afraid. 16 bit is much better at holding a smooth gradient, with far less banding than 8 bit.

Adding noise or grain can help too.

Chris.
JR
John_R_Nielsen
Dec 28, 2006
Also, when you make the Gradient, make sure that "Dither" is checked in the Option Bar.
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Anamorphy
Dec 28, 2006
I´m afraid it isn´t so simple. The problem is still here. I realized it started when I bought new monitor, so it can do maybe another resolution (crazy but what else). Same problem I have in Adobe Flash 8, not only Photoshop. It appears only when the gradient has bigger size – smaller is better. And when I´m in 8 bit, the gradient is a little bit less pixelated than in 16-bit. Trying to do some screens. Once again thanks for any replies/solutions.
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chrisjbirchall
Dec 28, 2006
If the problem does not appear on a print, then you could try updating your vid driver.
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Anamorphy
Dec 28, 2006
So here they are, in original size:
Photoshop 8-bit:
<http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8720/8bitgo1.jpg> Photoshop 16-bit:
<http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5505/16bitak2.jpg> Flash (gradient quality in preferences – Normal):
<http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/8606/flashyv6.jpg> Hope you see it, if not, please try adjusting a bright on your monitor.
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Bernie
Dec 28, 2006
I realized it started when I bought new monitor

Did you properly calibrate your monitor?

please try adjusting a bright on your monitor.

No, (my monitor is calibrated, thank you very much). Besides, any file can be made to look like crap by over increasing the brightness this does not prove anything.
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Anamorphy
Dec 28, 2006
I was calibrating my monitor, seems to work properly, but this one problem still exists. (By the way, please sorry some language mistakes)
AB
Arnor Baldvinsson
Dec 28, 2006
Hi,

wrote in message
I was calibrating my monitor, seems to work properly, but this one problem still exists. (By the way, please sorry some language mistakes)

I’m not sure what problem you are having. According to the screeshot the image is zoomed in to 600% on your screen when you took the screenshot. From the name of the layer it looks like this is a 775×540 pixel image. Judging by the image and size and zoom, it looks like the part of the image that you have on the work area in the screenshot is about 1/9th of the whole image and from my calculation it should be a slice that’s about 230×155 pixels. So the whole image is (230×3) x (155×3) or 690 x 465 pixels. Looking at the http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8720/8bitgo1.jpg screenshot I don’t see any pixelation. I do see a bit of JPEG artifacts when I zoom in 200% which would be a total zoom of 1200% At that magnification I would expect to see imperfections.

—
Arnor Baldvinsson
San Antonio, Texas
JR
John_R_Nielsen
Dec 28, 2006
If you look at it witht the Eyedropper, you’ll see the difference between adjacent bands is just one level. Since there is a clean edge between bands, this difference will be noticable.

Adding noise and using dither will get rid of the clean edge, making the banding less noticable. As you noticed, it is less apparent when the gradient runs over a short distance. The same will be true if the range of colors in the gradient is wider.
GA
George_Austin
Dec 29, 2006
My eye cannot see the banding and, I daresay, neither can yours. If you are seeing it, I venture to say you are editing the image by levels, curves, contrast, or in some other way that alters the input/output curve so that the gradient "steps" are increasing from the unedited version of one-color value (1/255) to several color values per step. You begin to see banding with steps of 3 color values. Unless you are blessed with super-human vision, you cannot see adjacent steps of only one or two color values. At least none of twenty people in a group I tested could. But then again, they are all seniors—at least 55 years old.

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