Bit Depth
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The number of bits allocated per color channel, determining the precision of color values in a digital image.
Bit depth per channel affects the smoothness of tonal transitions. An 8-bit image has 256 levels per channel, which is usually sufficient for final output but can show banding when heavily edited. A 16-bit image has 65,536 levels per channel, providing much more editing headroom. In video, 10-bit is the standard for HDR content, offering 4 times the levels of 8-bit. When working with gradients, shadows, or color grading, higher bit depth prevents visible stepping artifacts known as posterization or banding.
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