How to Remove Color Banding in After Effects

Removing color banding is a simple yet effective way to make your images look more professional and appealing.

Color banding can look tacky and unprofessional even to the untrained eye. To put it simply, banding happens when two colors are so similar, the image appears posterized. The resulting look is unappealing and unprofessional.

Removing color banding in After Effects is easier than you might think, as you’ll see in this minute-long tutorial from Standard Film Team.

The short, goofy video covers everything you need to know about removing banding, from changing the bit rate to adding adjustment layers and noise. For an even more in-depth tutorial on removing banding, check out this helpful tutorial from Justin Hemsley.

Simple Breakdown

When removing color banding in After Effects remember to:

1. Change Bit Rate of your Composition to a higher number like 16 or 32

2. Add an Adjustment Layer

3. Add Noise

4. Switch Off Color Noise

5. Add 1% Noise

Don’t forget that choosing a different color entirely could also help prevent banding for future projects.