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Color Banding Test

Check your monitor for color banding, visible gradient steps, and smooth color transitions. Run the test in full screen for the most accurate results.

START TESTVIEW IN FULL SCREENCHECK FOR VISIBLE COLOR BANDS

This test displays smooth grayscale and color gradients to help you identify banding, uneven color transitions, and other gradient artifacts. A properly calibrated monitor should render gradients smoothly without visible lines or steps.

Fullscreen recommendedClick = next gradient1-5 = direct viewESC to exit

What Is Color Banding?

Color banding, also known as gradient banding, occurs when a monitor cannot display smooth transitions between colors or shades. Instead of a continuous gradient, you may notice visible lines or distinct bands.

Banding is most noticeable in dark scenes, skies, shadows, and other areas with gradual color changes.

Comparison of a smooth gradient and visible color banding in grayscale and sky gradients.
A healthy gradient should fade continuously. Color banding shows up as visible steps, stripes, or contour-like lines instead of a smooth transition.

What Causes Color Banding?

Limited color depth (6-bit or 8-bit displays)

Incorrect gamma or color settings

Image or video compression

Graphics driver configuration

Low-quality source content

Not all banding is caused by the monitor itself. In some cases, the issue originates from the image, video, or graphics output.

How to Perform a Gradient Test

Using the test is straightforward.

  1. Open the test in full-screen mode. This gives you a clean view of the full gradient.
  2. View the grayscale and color gradients. Compare dark, midtone, and bright areas carefully.
  3. Check whether the transitions appear smooth. A good display should not show abrupt steps between nearby shades.
  4. Look for visible lines, stripes, or abrupt changes between shades. These are the main visual signs of banding.

If the gradients appear continuous without noticeable bands, your monitor is displaying color transitions correctly.

How to Improve Gradient Performance

If you notice color banding, you can try:

  • Using your monitor's native resolution.
  • Selecting the highest available color depth.
  • Adjusting gamma or color settings.
  • Updating your graphics driver.
  • Testing with higher-quality images or videos.

Keep in mind that some displays have hardware limitations that cannot be completely eliminated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is color banding normal?
Minor banding can occur on many displays, especially with compressed images or limited color depth. Excessive banding, however, may indicate incorrect display settings or hardware limitations.
Can a browser test detect banding automatically?
No. Browser-based tests provide reference gradients that allow you to visually inspect your monitor. The final evaluation depends on what you see on the screen.
Which background is best for checking banding?
Grayscale gradients are usually the easiest way to identify visible color bands, although colored gradients can also reveal transition issues.
Does higher color depth reduce banding?
Yes, in many cases. A higher color depth gives the display or graphics pipeline more tonal steps to work with, which can reduce visible jumps between shades.
Can bad source content cause banding even on a good monitor?
Yes. Compression, low-quality video, or poorly encoded gradients can create banding that is not caused by the monitor itself.

Related Screen Tests

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Gamma Calibration Test

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Check gamma balance, grayscale visibility, and tonal transitions.

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Monitor Test Patterns

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Use fullscreen reference patterns to check sharpness, contrast, color, and geometry.

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Monitor Sharpness Test

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Evaluate text clarity, edge definition, and fine-detail sharpness.

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Screen Uniformity Test

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Spot uneven brightness, tint shifts, dark corners, and panel inconsistencies.

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Response Time Test

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Evaluate ghosting, motion blur, and pixel transition clarity.

Current GradientGrayscale
Grayscale GradientThis is usually the easiest pattern for spotting visible steps or contour lines.
Dark GradientBanding often becomes more obvious in shadows and near-black transitions.
Sky Blue GradientUseful for spotting steps that often show up in skies and soft colored backgrounds.
RGB SweepCheck whether color transitions remain smooth across a wide hue range.
Warm GradientWarm gradients can reveal contour lines and tonal jumps in skin-toned or sunset-like content.
Tip: check the gradient from your normal distance first, then inspect darker transitions more closely if banding is subtle.