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MishDon
Inspiring
August 20, 2021
Answered

Terrible Banding on images when exporting for Lightroom and PS to Jpeg

  • August 20, 2021
  • 9 replies
  • 9020 views

Hi all, I am currently experiencing really bad bandin in images when exporting as a jpeg from both Lightroom and PS, I have tried just about everything I can think of but I am not expert but have some experience. The images look fine in PS and Lightroom before I export, I have changed colour space, image quality, checked monitor calibration but can't seem to work out what is going wrong..

I have will upload the jpeg files and screenshots of teh images in both LR & PS any advice most appreciated.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer MishDon

Ok everyone Thank you so much for providing your insights and advice I have found the issue after a lot of investigating I reset my moitors calibation to original and the banding on the exported jpegs has dissapeared thank god.

 

I realy appreciate you all taking the time to help many many thanks Mishs

9 replies

Participant
August 28, 2022

Hello MishDon. I am same issue as well. Can you explain in more detail how you resolved this please. Step by step would be helpful if you would be so kind. Thanks.

Todd Shaner
Legend
August 21, 2021

Not sure what you changed, but glad to hear that fixed the issue.  As an FYI LrC has issues with ICC v4 LUT type display profiles. If you see similar issues inside LrC set your calibration software to create ICC v2 Matrix type profiles.

MishDon
MishDonAuthorCorrect answer
Inspiring
August 21, 2021

Ok everyone Thank you so much for providing your insights and advice I have found the issue after a lot of investigating I reset my moitors calibation to original and the banding on the exported jpegs has dissapeared thank god.

 

I realy appreciate you all taking the time to help many many thanks Mishs

MishDon
MishDonAuthor
Inspiring
August 20, 2021

Thank you everyone for your advice, I have just woken up it's Saturday am here in Aust. I will check everything out when I've had a coffee hahaha 

I really appreciate your help.

Todd Shaner
Legend
August 20, 2021

Let's see how MishDon replies before drawing any conclusion as to the cause of the banding.

 

Do yourself (and me) a favor by downloading the above posted full size JPEG export files LR.jpg (LR export) and PS.jpg (PS export). When viewed in PS, LrC Develop module, XnView and FastStone Image Viewer no banding is observed at any Zoom setting. What do you see?

TheDigitalDog
Inspiring
August 20, 2021

I haven't drawn any conclusions as to the cause of MishDon's banding. 

Since I have a full, high bit display path and I don't know about MishDon's system I have no idea if visible banding his/her display path. 

I'd like to make a conclusion about the so called interpolation causing banding in Library based on anything you can provide from Adobe. 

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
Todd Shaner
Legend
August 20, 2021

Andrew, this has nothing to do with color gamut. Did you download the LR and PS JPEG export files the OP posted and view them at less than 100%. There's an issue with LrC Library module preview Zoom interpolation. The banding is only visible in LrC Libary module, not in the Develop module, PS, or any other photo viewer. There is no banding in MishDon's LrC and PS JPEG export files! Adobe introduced a change in LrC 9.3 that is causing this issue with the Library preview Zoom interpolation.

 

My suggestion to MishDon is to use the LrC Develop module for previewing the JPEG export files. If no banding is present in the Develop module then there is no issue!

TheDigitalDog
Inspiring
August 20, 2021

No Todd, it has nothing to do with inteprpolation. Where did Adobe state they changed the interpolation as you keep saying in that old forum post? 

Banding can be seen in wider gamut images with 8-bit per color color encoding. Can

I'm not saying the OPs issue is caused by color gamut, I'm saying your link to the other forum and banding seen in Library isn't the factor and has nothing to do with interpolation and can be expected certainly with those not using a full, high bit display path. The previews in Library can be expected to show some banding for the reasons outlined there (and here). 

What causes the OPs banding is still TBD. But banding seen in Library and other modules isn't at all unusual. 

 

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
MishDon
MishDonAuthor
Inspiring
August 20, 2021

I even expoted an image from LR with no adjustments and there is also banding in the Jpeg.

Todd Shaner
Legend
August 20, 2021

After a brief memory jog concerning banding in LrC Library previews I was able to replicate the issue. Please see the below post in the Photoshop Family forum where I reported a change was made to the Library module Preview Zoom interpolation in LrC 9.3. Please add your comments at that post to help get Adobe's attention.

 

The issue is most apparent when the Zoom setting is 33% or less. In the below screenshot the Zoom was set to 19.4% for the LR.jpg file. The banding issue is due to Adobe changing from Bicubic interpolation to the less accurate Nearest Neighbor interpolation for the Library previews. The Develop module does not exhibit the issue and other photo editors or viewers should not exhibit any banding.

 

https://feedback.photoshop.com/conversations/lightroom-classic/library-preview-zoom-interpolation-changed/5f5f462c4b561a3d4277ef23

 

 

 

TheDigitalDog
Inspiring
August 20, 2021
This has nothing to do with interpolation! The Library previews are Adobe RGB (1998), and are stored as JPEGs. If you see banding, that's partially the reason (larger gamut color space, encoded as a JPEG for speed). There isn't anything usual about banding there. The wider gamut in only 8-bits per color, the more likelihood you'll see banding. Nothing new here. Zooming out only begs for more 'banding' due to the subsampling of the data, in any module but worse in all modules outside of Develop. 
 
If you want to view your data in LR, you really want to do this in Develop at 1:1 or greater; not Adobe RGB (1998) and not JPEGs. 
Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
Todd Shaner
Legend
August 20, 2021

I'm not seeing any banding in the LR.jpg or PS.jpg image files (see below Compare view). What application are you using to view the JPEG export files? I'm viewing them inside LrC and PS with no banding observed.

 

Try turning OFF 'Use Graphics Processor' in Edit> Preferences>Performance and close and restart LrC. Then view the LR.jpg or PS.jpg image files inside LrC. Import them if you haven't already done so. If the banding is still present Export the raw file with your settings that exhibit the issue to DNG file format as shown below and post the DNG file to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. This will allow viewing the original raw file on our systems with your settings.

 

 

Sean McCormack
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 20, 2021

What settings are you using on Export?

Sean McCormack. Author of 'Essential Development 3'. Magazine Writer. Former Official Fuji X-Photographer.
MishDon
MishDonAuthor
Inspiring
August 20, 2021

Hey Sean, thanks for your reply, I dont't have access to my LR catalogue right now but from what I can recall

JPG, SRGB, 80% quaility (have tried 100 as well) original image size and 300 ppi

hopefully that is what you are after. LR output preference is set to SRGB, 8bit same as PS

 

Sean McCormack
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 20, 2021

80% is slightly low and will have some banding in graduated areas. 100% is excessive and the size ballons for not a lot of visual difference from 90%. Are you still seeing banding at 100%? 

Sean McCormack. Author of 'Essential Development 3'. Magazine Writer. Former Official Fuji X-Photographer.