Banding problems

imann08 · #1 03-13-2007, 01:03 AM

This has to do with graphics and not a photograph per se but maybe you can help me out. I have a radial gradient that goes from a fairly dark color to black and am getting banding in the print. I put together the image in Photoshop on sRGB in 300ppi. I have tried many many things such as TIFF files, PDFs, and high res JPEGs. My client, who will be printing it cannot get it in Photoshop and so it has to be in some file format other than Photoshop. Does anyone have any recommendations to get it so I don't have banding issues when I print it out on a desktop printer? Thanks in advance.

Photo678 · #2 03-13-2007, 02:15 AM

not a print issue as much as it is the gradient tool in photoshop...
Are you using the gradient overlay, or using the quick mask option to apply your gradient?

a fix which has proven helpful for me has been to apply a slight gaussian blur on top of the gradient...ie, in the gradient layer.

good luck

imann08 · #3 03-13-2007, 02:33 AM

That's something I failed to mention in my original post. I have tried creating the effect with a severely feathered rectangular marquee, which end up having the look of a radial gradient, placed on the black layer on top and deleted to show the colored layer below. I have placed a colored to transparent radial gradient on it's own layer on top of a black layer. I have done one gradient with a the color and black already in it on one layer. I have also tried putting a gaussian blue on the gradient layer to know avail. I thought the gaussian blur trick might solve my little problem but it didn't seem to.

What I am now seeing on my printer is fairly evenly spaced sets of 4 lighter lines that are also evenly spaced in distances equal to their own width that run from the top to the bottom. That may be an ink problem though and I will check things out there tomorrow. I wasn't having that problem with my printer originally but was having the banding occur on my clients printer (the important one) from the beginning. I don't know if this is a different problem then having the banding that would be going in a circular pattern along a radial gradient.

Swampy · #4 03-13-2007, 10:53 AM

What is the final output going to be? Does the gradient cover an entire page, say 8.5 x 11?

If the gradient is large and covers a full page and you are printing to a typical office printer, banding will be a problem. Not so much if you are going to 4 over 4 color on a high res image setter.

Ant · #5 03-13-2007, 11:03 AM

First, you should research why banding occurs. Second, apply up to 6 of noise, gaussian - anything more will show up in printing, anything less should not. If adding noise does not remove all of the banding, carefully clone/heal out offending areas. You can also apply noise to masks.

Photo678 · #6 03-13-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imann08

What I am now seeing on my printer is fairly evenly spaced sets of 4 lighter lines that are also evenly spaced in distances equal to their own width that run from the top to the bottom. That may be an ink problem though and I will check things out there tomorrow. I wasn't having that problem with my printer originally but was having the banding occur on my clients printer (the important one) from the beginning. I don't know if this is a different problem then having the banding that would be going in a circular pattern along a radial gradient.

Clean your heads....thats a printer problem for sure...sorry.

yanamation · #7 03-13-2007, 12:15 PM

Hi, Isaac!

I have dealt with banding issues in the past.......try copy merging the problem area, then experimenting with gaussian blur and noise....I can't tell you the exact numbers, but play with it.....it usually works for me! Good luck!
Truly,
Yana

imann08 · #8 03-13-2007, 05:26 PM

Hey everyone, I really appreciate the input. I am going to try the addition of noise as I read it elsewhere as well.

The gradient, which is a radial gradient, is 5.7x4. I'll let you know what I come up with. Thanks.

imann08 · #9 03-13-2007, 10:05 PM

I've now tried the noise and blur to no avail. I did have my client try running it as a photo print and it came out fine. Why I can make something a simple as a radial gradient without this happening is beyond me. Any other suggestions?

imann08 · #10 03-13-2007, 10:21 PM

I think I figured it out! I made this file in RGB as I always do when it is going to be output on a desktop printer. Well, it was out of gamut in a fairly large area of the image so I changed it to CMYK and then converted it to PDF and printed that and it all the banding disappeared. At least on my printer. We'll have to see how it shows up on my clients printer tomorrow but I think I may have nailed it.