Frequently asked question

Why does the data bit depth increase when a raster is projected, rotated, or clipped?

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Answer

Pixel depth is increased to provide the space to store 'nodata' values. This allows changes, such as a shift or a mask, to be applied to the raster. Pixels within the new raster's bounding extent may need to be assigned as nodata to preserve data values and also keep a proper extent.

For example, values range from 0-255 in an 8-bit raster. If a nodata value is introduced, the bit depth must increased to 16-bit to store the nodata value, which would be the 257th value.

Article ID:000007604

Software:
  • ArcMap

Get help from ArcGIS experts

Contact technical support

Download the Esri Support App

Go to download options

Related Information

Discover more on this topic