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anton_7599
Participating Frequently
January 20, 2025
Question

Gradient Issue Between Camera RAW and Photoshop

  • January 20, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 2458 views

Hi everyone,

 

I hope you’re doing well. I’m reaching out because I’m experiencing an issue with the transition between Camera RAW and Photoshop, and I was hoping someone here might be able to help.

 

Here’s the situation:

I opened a RAW file from my Hasselblad camera in Camera RAW and processed it as I usually do—using light masks and making all the necessary adjustments. Everything looked great in Camera RAW, with smooth gradients in the background transitioning beautifully from white to black. However, when I opened the same file in Photoshop, the gradients didn’t appear as smooth anymore.

 

The tonal gradations, particularly in the background, seem to lose their softness in Photoshop. I’ve never encountered this issue before, and it’s happening consistently on both my Mac Studio and MacBook, so it’s not device-specific.

 

I’ve already tried several troubleshooting steps, including:

• Testing different color profiles and ensuring that both Camera RAW and Photoshop are using the same profile.

• Consulting with photographer friends, though unfortunately, no one has encountered this issue before.

 

I’ve attached two screenshots to illustrate the difference between the two programs.

 

If anyone has any insights or has experienced something similar, I’d be incredibly grateful for your advice. This issue is a bit of a mystery to me, and I’d appreciate any help you can provide.

 

Thank you so much in advance!

 

Best regards,

Anton

1 reply

Conrad_C
Conrad_C
Community Expert
January 21, 2025

I don’t know if this is the right answer, but see if it helps to use the advice in this article and the video in it…it’s about the “Precise Previews for 16-bit Documents” setting in Photoshop that was added to address banding. If that option is already enabled in your copy of Photoshop, then I don’t know what the solution it.

 

How to eliminate false banding in Photoshop (Greg Benz)

 

He calls it “false banding” because the image itself is OK, it’s smooth…the banding is only in the Photoshop preview.

A
anton_7599Author
Participating Frequently
January 21, 2025

Hey there

Thanks so much for taking your time and trying to solve my problem. I really appriciate that.

I tried every step from the link you sent. Still not the same. I think that the solution is more technical in the Adobe software. Today i had a 3 hour call with one of the technical supporters from Adobe. But still to this time there is now solution...
They are trying to figure it out. They said that it could maybe have to do with the gernal camera Raw application...

I have really no clue.


So again. Thanks so much for the help and your time.

Best regards 

Per Berntsen
Per Berntsen
Community Expert
January 22, 2025

Thanks for your time as well! Really appriciate that.

Unfortunately i can see the diffrence even when zooming in. Your idea seems plausible to me and was also one of my first thoughts. However, when I zoom into the image, I still see the difference, and it’s even quite significant. When I later export the image as a TIF file, it shows the same issues.

 

Somehow, everything about this is very strange. The Adobe employee already tried everything possible with the GPU, but he couldn’t trace the problem back to that.

And its nor just the one file. I have the same issue today with another picture...

 

I would like to thank you once again for the time you have invested in my problem.


quote

The Adobe employee already tried everything possible with the GPU, but he couldn’t trace the problem back to that.


By @anton_7599

 

I suggest that you try this yourself, and make sure to view the image at 100%. (not just zoomed in, but at exactly 100%)

In Photoshop, go to the menu item Preferences > Performance (I believe it's in the Photoshop menu on a Mac), and uncheck Use graphics processor. Then (still in Photoshop) go to Preferences > Camera Raw, go to the Performance tab, set Use graphics processor to Custom, then uncheck Use GPU for image processing.

Now restart Photoshop to be absolutely certain that the changes are applied.

If images now display identically at 100% in both applications, enable the GPUs (one at a time, followed by a PS restart) to establish which one is the culprit. Let us know how it goes.

 

 

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