thumb|Example of a photograph in [[JPEG format (24-bit color or 16.7 million colors) before posterization, contrasting the result of saving to GIF format (256 colors). Posterization occurs across the image, but is most obvious in areas of subtle variation in tone.]]
thumb|Posterized photo of a [[hibiscus]]
thumb|Posterized photo
Posterization or posterisation of an image is the conversion of a continuous gradation of tone to several regions of fewer tones, causing abrupt changes from one tone to another. This was originally done with photographic processes to create posters. It can now be done photographically or with digital image processing, and may be deliberate or an unintended artifact of color quantization. Posterization is often the first step in vectorization (tracing) of an image.
Cause
The effect may be created deliberately, or happen accidentally. For artistic effect, most image editing programs provide a posterization feature, or photographic processes may be used.
Unwanted posterization, also known as banding, may occur when the color depth, sometimes called bit depth, is insufficient to accurately sample a continuous gradation of color tone. As a result, a continuous gradient appears as a series of discrete steps or bands of color — hence the name. When discussing fixed pixel displays, such as LCD and plasma televisions, this effect is referred to as false contouring. Additionally, compression in image formats such as JPEG can also result in posterization when a smooth gradient of colour or luminosity is compressed into discrete quantized blocks with stepped gradients. The result may be compounded further by an optical illusion, called the Mach band illusion, in which each band appears to have an intensity gradient in the direction opposing the overall gradient. This problem may be resolved, in part, with dithering.
Photographic process
Posterization is a process in photograph development which converts normal photographs into an image consisting of distinct, but flat, areas of different tones or colors. A posterized image often has the same general appearance, but portions of the original image that presented gradual transitions are replaced by abrupt changes in shading and gradation from one area of tone to another.
Printing posterization from black and white requires density separations which is then printed on the same piece of paper to create the whole image. Separations may be made by density or color, using different exposures. Density separations may be created by printing three prints of the same picture, each at a different exposure time that will be combined for the final image.
Modern uses of posterization also include thresholding or color segmentation that transform the image into a simplified version with fewer, highly contrasting colors.
Applications
Typically, posterization is used for tracing contour lines and vectorizing photo-realistic images. This tracing process starts with 1 bit per channel and advances to 4 bits per channel. As the bits per channel increase, the number of levels of lightness a color can display increases.
A visual artist, faced with line art that has been damaged through JPEG compression, may consider posterizing the image as a first step to remove artifacts on the edges of the image.
Studies show that using posterization can significantly improve the ability to locate landmarks or subjects in outdoor photography.