![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() That gives you an idea of the loss of gradient smoothness with lower bit depth. Set layers with the values : 128 (7 bits), 64 (6-bit), 32 (5 bits) Work in ACR first, know when you risk posterization and which kinds of hard edits may produce it (especiall in black and white).ĭuplicate the layer and use the filter adjustment > posterize To summarize, don't make your worklow harder than needed and don't think you have to upgrade to Photoshop for that reason. Be aware that it is rather common to see false posterization artifacts only on your display (some are not even 8-bits.), check that on test prints. The lack of 16-bits for 'detailed' adjustments like sharpening or dust removal is never a problem, it's only with wide areas gradients.ĥ - So, keep an eye for posterization if you think your image has such smooth gradients. Since 16-bits mode is not supported with layers in Elements, be careful with such edits however you are safe if you work in 'normal' mode. This type of banding may be the result of using extreme edits stretching the tones or some layers blending modes like difference. Even with 16-bits, posterization can happen (the cure is to add some noise). With finer tones in 16-bits, the gradient can be smoother. ![]() The ugly result may be posterization, or banding. That's why the jpeg format with low compression is ideal for printing output.Ĥ - 16-bits editing is useful, not only for theoretical reasons, but for a very real and annoying limitation in 8-bits: our eyes are apt to grasp the difference between two adjacent areas in very soft monochrome gradients, such as in a sky. You'll see that editing in ACR first makes 16-bits editing useless (redundant) for ulterior editing in nearly 100% of your shots.Ģ - Hard fact: your display and home printer are only 8-bits.ģ - Starting with a 16 bits image, if you convert it to 8-bits ( same file), you can't see the difference on display or print, even with a 16-bits printer. That is helped with the 16-bits ACR editing. The other advantage of the ACR module is that you are working in a wider color model as the common sRGB. If you start from a jpeg (necessarily 8-bits), the advantage is that you don't get 'rounding errors' in calculations, providing smoother gradients. The difference between 12 or 14 bits is very hard to reveal. If you start from a raw file you start with 12 or 14 bits precision. The menu choice for 8 or 16 bits is only to choose the format when sending the edited image to the editor. Since comments are welcome, I'd like to stress a few facts:ġ - If you work in the ACR module, all your calculations are done in 16-bits. I do agree with everything (nice summary) You will know the time has come because some features or tools won't be available. Work with a 16-bit file in Elements as long as you can and then change it to an 8-bit file when it becomes necessary. What do the experts have to say about this issue? Many plug-ins (such as Topaz, Filter Forge, Nik Collection, Auto FX, the Flood filter, Fractalius-version 2, etc.) offer support for 16-bit files. Here is a reason for having the 16-bit option in Elements (although limited) - third-party plug-ins. Why is this option available in Elements? Shape-based tools (Custom Shape, Rectangle, Ellipse, etc.) Quite a few filters won't work (mainly the ones in the Filter Gallery).īrush-based tools (Paint, Dodge, Blur, Eraser, etc.) You cannot create a 16-bit file or convert to one. In a nutshell, these are its limitations: This program offers limited support for 16-bit files. However, when you go into Elements "territory", it is a different ball game. I believe the emphasis placed on working with 16-bit files makes a lot of sense if you have Lightroom or Photoshop. Should one work with 16-bit files in Photoshop Elements? ![]()
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