Test Information
The Gradient Banding test checks for ‘Posterization’—a visual artifact where smooth color transitions are broken up into distinct, ugly steps. This is a key test for photographers, designers, and HDR enthusiasts who require deep color accuracy.
🌫️ Linear Grayscale Gradient: The standard test for overall bit-depth and luminance transition from pure black to white.
🔴🟢🔵 Primary Channels (Red, Green, Blue): Check if specific color subpixels have trouble with smooth power curves or “voltage steps”.
🟦🟪🟨 Secondary Channels (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow): Verify the display’s internal processing for combined colors.
⬅️➡️ Navigation: Click the background or use Arrow Keys to cycle through the available channels.
📉 Step Patterns (Banding): Do you see clear vertical lines or “steps” instead of a silky-smooth transition? This indicates the panel is struggling to represent 8-bit or 10-bit color depth accurately.
✨ Dithering Noise: Look closely at the gradient. Do you see a faint “sand-like” moving pattern? This is Temporal Dithering (FRC), a technique used by panels to simulate more colors than they can natively show.
🎯 Gray Tracking: In the Grayscale gradient, look for unintended tinting. If certain sections look slightly green or pink, your monitor’s gray tracking is inconsistent across the brightness range.
While almost all digital gradients have some banding due to 8-bit signal limitations, a high-quality 10-bit panel should look nearly perfect from a normal viewing distance.
Professional online gradient test for 8-bit vs 10-bit displays. Detect posterization, dithering, and color depth issues without expensive hardware.