When I upload an image it downgrades the quality and destroys the gradient

1. The original image is JPG
2. The dimensions are 4800x3200 and the file size is 900KB

3. I'm not quite sure how to check if it has any color profile embedded, but I haven't added any since I got it
4. The banding happens immediately after upload
5. I have downloaded the image as JPG and PNG and the issue persists

I'd be fine with sharing the URL via private message

Hi 

,

Thank you so much for reaching out, and I apologize for the frustration and disappointment you've experienced. I can completely understand how disheartening it must be to see your image quality suffer, especially when Express is a tool you've invested in specifically to edit that content.

To better pinpoint the root cause and explore a solution with you, could you please share a bit more detail?

1. What format is the original image in? 
2. What are the image dimensions and file size?
3. Is there any color profile embedded in the image? 
4. Are you seeing the banding right after upload, or only after making specific edits (like applying filters or exporting)?
5. Have you tried exporting the project from Express—and if so, does the exported file look degraded as well, or is the issue only visible during editing?

Also, if you're comfortable sharing the image and the project URL with us with edit access via private message, we'd be happy to test it internally to see exactly what might be going wrong.

Regards,

Tarun