gradient problem

[zoranb@adobeforums.com]

why do gradients from illustrator 9 apear with steps when printed on film? is there a setting to prevent this?

[Paul_Cutler@adobeforums.com]

All Illustrator (and Photoshop) gradients are subject to banding. This is from the help menu:
• Use blends that change at least 50% in one or more of the process colors.
• Use shorter blends (no more than 7.5” in length for less chance of banding.
• Use lighter colors for blends and keep blends of darker colors as short as possible.
• Retain 256 levels of gray by using appropriate line screen for output (too high of a line screen for the device’s output resolution can result in banding).
Basically you are not changing the color enough or the gradient is too long. GOOD LUCK!

[Petar_Nikov@adobeforums.com]

Paul will you be so kind to explain little further this.
So if we try to make Reflected gradient fill from the center of letter size page with let say C40 M20 Y0 B10 to white collor there is no chance to avoid banding?
The only way to have something decent looking in this case is to apply noise (or some screen over it) to mask bands or there is some other way?

[Petar_Nikov@adobeforums.com]