What Is Banding & Gradient Loss
Stepped color transitions (banding) instead of smooth gradients.

How to Spot Banding & Gradient Loss

• Visible stripes in skies or skin-tone backgrounds.
• “Stair-step” look when exporting compressed formats.

Causes of Banding & Gradient Loss

• 8-bit projects with heavy grading.
• Exporting with low-bit codecs (H.264 at low bitrate).

Fixes for Banding & Gradient Loss

• Work in 10- or 12-bit project spaces.
• Add a dither/noise overlay (~1–2% opacity) to break up bands.
• Export at higher bit-depth or bitrate.