What is the typical purpose of using grids in radiography?

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Grids are used to improve image quality by reducing scattered radiation that reaches the image receptor. Scatter produced in the patient adds a fog-like background that lowers image contrast, making details harder to see. A grid, with lead strips and radiolucent interspaces, sits between the patient and the detector and preferentially absorbs scattered photons traveling at angles away from the primary beam, while most of the primary photons continue through to the receptor. Because the grid also attenuates some primary photons, the exposure factors often need to be increased to maintain proper receptor exposure. Proper centering and alignment are important to avoid grid cutoff and to ensure the grid functions effectively.