The problem isn't when we view a complete 256-step wedge.
The problem is when we start out with a small color space, and proceed to make
lossful adjustments. This introduces gaps, or banding. With further adjustments, banding become increasingly apparent.
256 tones is nice to
finish with (and that's all we can ever get in the end, because printer dirvers are only 8-bit), but if we
start out with
only 256, the number of steps can only
decrease as we perform adjustments.
On the other hand, if we start with 64 thousand tones per channel, we could lose 1000 steps and they wouldn't likely be noticed. If we start with 256, it doesn't take many losses to become apparent. It's a familiar look when (8-bit) JPG files are overly "corrected" by amateur digital photographers. That's why higher end cameras allow Raw capture, and modern imaging software supports it. Google
16 bit Workflow to learn more.
Performing adjustments in a large color space, prevents banding. That's why we convert to the smallest color space, last - just as we do with sharpening.
Bookmarks