Why does Photoshop’s RGB picker still use 0–255 in a 16-bit image?
Asked 3/1/2020
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In Photoshop, I converted an image to 16 bits per channel (Image > Mode > 16 Bits/Channel), but the RGB color picker still only accepts values from 0 to 255. If 16-bit should allow many more tonal values per channel, why can’t I enter numbers above 255 in the RGB fields?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
16- bit is only used for internal calculations. What you actually see on your monitor is in 8-bit. Thus, when you select a color based on the image displayed by your monitor, the maximum value is 255.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
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Because Photoshop’s RGB picker UI is still based on 8-bit display-style values (0–255 per channel), even when the document itself is 16 bits per channel.
A 16-bit/channel image does store many more tonal steps internally (up to 65,536 levels per channel in theory), but that extra precision is mainly used for editing calculations and smoother tonal adjustments. It helps reduce rounding errors and banding during processing.
The color you see on your monitor is also effectively shown through an 8-bit-style interface, so the standard RGB entry boxes remain limited to 0–255. When you enter an 8-bit value like 255, Photoshop maps it to the corresponding high internal 16-bit value.
So 16-bit mode does not mean the RGB picker changes to direct 0–65535 entry. In Photoshop, that higher-precision data is mostly exposed in readouts such as the Info panel, not the main color picker.
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