![]() ![]() This means that instead of 2 16 possible values (which would be 65,536 possible values) there are only 2 15+1 possible values (which is 32,768 +1 = 32,769 possible values). However, it treats the 16th digit differently – it is simply added to the value created from the first 15-digits. Photoshop does actually use 16-bits per channel. You would assume that this then means 16-bits means 16-bits per channel in Photoshop. A 16-bit RGB or LAB image in Photoshop would have 48-bits per pixel, etc. Which means that an 8-bit RGB image in Photoshop will have a total of 24-bits per pixel (8 for red, 8 for green, and 8 for blue). Photography software (such as Photoshop and Lightroom) refer to the number of bits per channel. Each of these colors is handled by your computer and monitor as a “channel”. A color image is typically composed of red, green, and blue pixels to create color. Note that the image above is a black and white image. It would be convenient if all “bit-depths” could be compared directly, but there are some variations in terminology that are helpful to understand. In Photoshop, this is represented as integers 0-255 (internally, this is binary 00000000-11111111 to the computer). So “8-bit” = 2 8 = 256 possible integer values. In general, the number of possible choices is 2 raised to the number of bits. When you combine 2 bits, then you can have four possible values (00, 01, 10, and 11). A single bit has 2 possible values, 0 or 1. Every time we add another bit, the number of potential combinations doubles. ![]() To describe something complex, we can combine multiple bits. If it was a pixel, it would be pure black or pure white. A single bit isn’t really good for anything beyond “yes” or “no” because it can only have 2 values. A “bit” is a computer’s way of storing information as a 1 or 0. What does it all mean, and what really matters?īefore we compare the various options, lets first discuss what the naming means. And our cameras often offer 12 vs 14-bit files (though you might get 16-bit with a medium format camera). Sometimes we see files referred to as being 24 of 48-bit. Photoshop offers 8, 16, and 32-bit file formats. “Bit depth” is one of those terms we’ve all run into, but very few photographers truly understand. ![]()
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