Photoshop CC gradient banding

I have all these same problems with heavy banding on a large grey studio background and 500+ dancers' individual shots so I can't individually manipulate each photo, sooooo frustrating! I am not technically minded enough to solve this frustrating issue by myself, have tried moving the performance cache level to 1 (was on 4) and restarting PS CC and it seems to make no difference.

My workflow and process:

I always shoot in Raw, process in ACR (via Bridge), usually save as jpeg and then drag the selected jpeg's into PS CC for further processing, all on a MacBook Pro (OSX Yosemite now, same problem on Mavericks previously))  My 16 bit Raw photos shot in RGB (on a Canon 6D) open in ACR as 8 bit images.

Any suggestions or else just add my problems to the general dissatisfaction with Adobe.

Was there ever a fix for this?  I've been noticing it too.  I think it's a version issue, not a hardware issue.  I use CS5 at work (Imac) and don't have any banding in gradients (in my case, the edges of airbrushing).  The same file on CC 2014 at home and there's banding (Macbook Pro, same era as imac)

I disagree with Chris and other who say its "not a problem" and that we must be doing something wrong or not doing something to make the banding not show. And yes, it IS a problem and much worse with CC than on CS6 for example. I can open up the EXACT same images with CC and CS6 and the horrible banding only shows up in CC using the same preferences and settings. Its been this way since CC came out. I wouldn't care so much how it is DISPLAYED on my monitor as that is simply a limitation of most if not all monitors. The problem is.... its saving it into the image and PRINTING the same way.

I have not been able to "fix" this issue since CC came out. It sux.

I have the same problem here. I'm using CS5. I run some tests on CC and the same problem occured.

The biggest problem on my side is the banding is visible when it's printed. I use to color Caillou books for years, with different printers from all over the world and the banding problem appears at some places. So I guest it's not a screen problem. Neither a computer or display or graphic card performances. It seems to be a problem with the brushes of Photoshop.

On this example, I've boosted the effect to accentuate the banding problem. I have few more examples like this one, but this one is the most visible.

Greetings from Boise. I'm in a big rush so didn't go through all the answers, but have some suggestions (late to the party, I know).

In RGB banding is more likely if you have a dominant hue, such as Blue (which accounts for far less than 10% of any Pixel's Luminance value). Additionally, it is more likely if you are working in 8 bits per Channel: this is due to "Quantization," or the Luminance "steps" between various Channel values. In 8 bits, there is a noticeable difference between, say, 125 and 126. Again, this is most noticeable with a dominant Hue. Human vision is very sensitive to Luminance Deltas (differences).

Work in 16 bits, aRGB (not PPRGB, nor sRGB). I know there are arguments for sRGB, but: http://www.forensicallyfit.net/2012/04/16/argb-srgb-gamut-accuracy-conversion-delta-e/

When you build the Gradient, in the Gradient Dialogue Box ensure that you select adjust the "Smoothness" control up. This will produce a dithering in the Gradient to combat Posterization. Additionally, when you have the Gradient Tool Selected, check your Options ToolBar to ensure that the Dither checkbox is selected.

There are some very clever things you can do like overlaying and averaging Gradient Layers, but I mention that because it is only necessary in extreme cases.

Here's a good exercise: generate a monochromatic (0-255) Linear Gradient without Smoothing and without Dither. Note the shape of the Histogram: it is "platykurtic," meaning that it is very flat and regular.

Now-without changing the Gradient Stops or Colors, apply Smoothing and/or Dither, or both:

Now the Histogram is neither evenly distributed nor smooth. This tells you-primarily-that what amounts to Noise (synthetic value Pixels) are being generated by PS in the background to blend the various Quantization Levels. You will probably not find them objectionable in even large prints. This is a superb way to mitigate "banding."

Finally, you should know about a "gotcha." You'll notice (using your Info Window) that the Pixel Values of a 16 bit Document range from 0-32768, which represents 15 bits, not 16 (which would range from 0-65535). So, you are actually working in 15 bits, but the difference is unimportant to the human eye...unless, like me, you hallucinate a lot. Ahem. Anyway, you are in 15 bits (this is done to accomodate Blending Mode math).

I switched camera from Canon to Hasselblad. Now I see banding in Photoshop. I use top of the line Eizo monitor.

The strange thing is that all looks fine in Phocus, Lightroom and Camera Raw. See attached screenshot.

What's going on?

PS CC to the left and Camera Raw to the right.

Link the the image: http://www.botvidsson.se/waste/banding.jpg

I'm surprised to see no mention of dithering settings in this thread.

I too would like to try to see or reproduce the problem.

-Noel

I am having the same issue and was thinking it was my monitor until tonight.  I realize now that it's PS CC that's causign the problem.

I had the CS6 subsctiption before I upgraded to the photographer's bundle with LR.  When I first noticed the banding working in PS CC, it didn't occur to me that it was the change in software...

I also have an iMac, but mine is much older than yours as I got it early in 2010.  When I first noticed this banding, I thought it was my computer that was causing the problem,  but I now I really don't think that's the problem.

Tonight, I re-processed some photos of Northern lIghts that I took and first processed back in July.  At that time I was using the online version of PS6. 

While doing these new edits tonight, I noticed the banding and was unhappy with it.  I attributed it to my computer and did my best to ignore it.

Then I brought the new PSD files back into my LR catalogue and looked the old PSD files(which I thankfully kept).  The original files I processed in July with CS6 are beautiful and clean with smooth and creamy looking transitions.  The ones I just processed with PS CC are unacceptable and look like Netflix on a bad day, and I wouldn't even show them publicly.

It's late now, but I need to put in a support ticket as this is unacceptable.  I want CS6 back...

Lisa

Is the banding showing up in print or on-screen?  Or both?  In the old days, banding showed up in low res monitors or monitors showing only 256 colors.  I wonder if it could be related to the monitor or the video card?  I still do not understand how software development has not evolved to the level of zero defects.  That goes for hardware, too.  They wrote these applications and operating systems years ago and I would think that, by now, they'd have perfected everything to work in concert.  Guess I got a wiff of laughng gas.