How to use the screen color test
Open the color workspace on the screen you want to inspect. Start at your normal brightness, enter fullscreen, and step through white, black, gray, red, green, blue, gradients, and high-contrast patterns.
Use the pattern that makes the issue easiest to see. A broad tint, blotch, or washed-out area belongs in this color check first. A tiny fixed dot belongs in the Pixel Test. Edge or corner glow on black belongs in the Backlight Bleed Test. A persistent ghost image belongs in the Burn-In Test.
A browser color test can reveal visible color, tint, brightness, uniformity, contrast, and gradient problems. It cannot measure professional color accuracy, prove the exact cause, or guarantee warranty coverage.
What red, green, blue, white, black, and gray screens reveal
What each screen color helps reveal
Use the screen that best matches the shape of the problem. A single color screen can make a symptom visible, but it does not prove the exact cause.
| Test screen | What it helps reveal | What to watch for | Related test if needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| White screen | Tint, dim zones, dirt, smudges, dark dots, and uneven brightness. | Yellow, blue, pink, or green cast; gray patches; single black dots; surface marks that move when cleaned. | Pixel Test for tiny fixed dots. |
| Black screen | Dark-scene behavior, glow, bright pixels, raised blacks, and contrast clues. | Edge glow, corner glow, cloudy dark patches, bright dots, or blacks that look gray. | Backlight Bleed Test for edge glow, IPS glow, clouding, or flashlighting. |
| Red screen | Red channel behavior, subpixel clues, and color shifts. | Dots or areas that do not follow the red screen; uneven red saturation. | Pixel Test for fixed dots or wrong-color points. |
| Green screen | Green channel behavior and subpixel clues. | Wrong-color dots, uneven saturation, or a tint that appears stronger on green. | Pixel Test for fixed dots or wrong-color points. |
| Blue screen | Blue channel behavior, tint differences, and channel-specific defects. | Purple, green, or dim shifts; tiny dots that stay wrong. | Pixel Test for fixed dots or wrong-color points. |
| Gray screen | Uniformity, tint, blotches, subtle retention, and banding. | Cloudy patches, color cast, visible steps, or ghost shapes from previous content. | Burn-In Test if a UI-shaped ghost persists. Backlight Bleed Test if edge glow dominates. |
| Gradient screen | Banding and transition smoothness. | Visible steps, posterization, abrupt changes, or uneven ramps between tones. | Check HDR, color profile, browser, and display mode before assuming hardware failure. |
| High-contrast screen | Contrast clues, halos, local dimming behavior, and washed-out blacks. | Crushed detail, bright halos, or dark areas that lose detail. | Backlight Bleed Test if the issue is mainly dark-screen glow. |
| Full brightness comparison | Brightness-related tint, washout, glow, or unevenness. | A problem that appears only at very high brightness or disappears at normal brightness. | Retest at normal brightness before documenting severity. |
| Normal content comparison | Whether the issue affects real use. | A symptom that appears in daily content, not only in a test pattern. | Document it if it is visible during normal viewing. |
What the color test can show
Use it to compare how the screen displays solid colors, gray fields, gradients, and normal content. It can help reveal tint, uneven brightness, color shifts, banding, washed-out color, suspicious marks, and settings that change the screen’s appearance.
What the color test cannot confirm
Use the result as visual evidence, not a final diagnosis. A browser test cannot professionally calibrate a display, measure color accuracy without hardware, prove internal electronics failure, or decide whether a manufacturer will approve a return, repair, or warranty claim.
What your screen issue may be
Use this table to narrow the symptom before opening a more specific ScreenDetect test or contacting support.
| What you see | What it may be | Best test screen | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny black or colored dot | Dead, stuck, hot, or bright pixel. | White, black, red, green, and blue. | Open Pixel Test. |
| Screen looks yellow, blue, green, or pink tinted | Color mode, white point, Night Shift, Night Light, True Tone, adaptive color, profile, or panel tint. | White, gray, and normal content. | Compare display settings before assuming damage. |
| White screen looks uneven | Brightness uniformity, surface dirt, panel variation, or a pressure or damage mark. | White. | Clean the screen, remove reflections, retest, and document if it is visible in normal use. |
| Gray screen looks blotchy or cloudy | Gray uniformity issue, panel variation, clouding, or image-retention clue. | Gray. | Compare normal content. Use Burn-In Test or Backlight Bleed Test if the pattern fits. |
| Black screen has edge or corner glow | Backlight bleed, IPS glow, clouding, or dark-screen uniformity behavior. | Black and dark gray. | Open Backlight Bleed Test. |
| Colors look washed out | HDR mismatch, display mode, color profile, browser or app behavior, cable or GPU setting, or panel issue. | Normal content, white, and gradient. | Check HDR and display mode first. |
| Gradient has visible bands | Banding, low color depth, compression, HDR or profile issue, or panel limitation. | Gradient and gray. | Compare another browser, app, and display setting before assuming hardware failure. |
| Faint ghost image from previous content | Image retention or burn-in. | Gray and solid colors. | Open Burn-In Test. |
| Color issue changes when Night Shift, True Tone, adaptive color, HDR, or color filters change | Settings-driven color behavior. | White, gray, and normal content. | Note the setting and retest with it off. |
| Issue appears only in one app, browser, or video | App, browser, video, color-management, or compression artifact. | The same color in another app or browser. | Do not treat it as panel proof yet. |
| Issue appears in photos but not to your eyes | Camera exposure or white balance artifact. | Visual check, not photo only. | Retake with locked exposure or add notes describing what is visible without the camera. |
| Cloudy pressure spot, line, crack, or distortion | Physical damage or panel layer issue. | White, gray, and normal content. | Document the symptom and use the damage support route. |
Color issue, bad pixel, backlight bleed, or burn-in?
Choose the right next step
These issues can look similar on a solid screen, but they belong to different tests and next steps.
| Issue | What it looks like | Where it is easiest to see | Best next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color tint or color mode issue | The whole screen leans warm, cool, green, or pink, or colors look too vivid or too flat. | White, gray, and normal content. | Check display mode, color profile, HDR, Night Shift, Night Light, True Tone, adaptive color, and eye comfort settings. |
| Color banding or gradient issue | Smooth gradients show steps, blocks, or posterized transitions. | Gradient and gray. | Compare browser, app, HDR, profile, and color-depth settings before assuming hardware failure. |
| Dead or stuck pixel | One tiny dot stays dark, bright, or the wrong color. | White, black, red, green, and blue. | Open Pixel Test. Use Stuck Pixel Fixer only after the dot behaves like a stuck pixel. |
| Backlight bleed or IPS glow | Edge glow, corner glow, or cloudy dark patches on black or dark gray. | Black and dark gray. | Open Backlight Bleed Test. |
| Burn-in or image retention | A taskbar, logo, keyboard, HUD, or app shell remains faintly visible after the content changes. | Gray, white, and solid colors. | Open Burn-In Test. Use Burn-In Fixer only after the symptom fits retention or burn-in-like behavior. |
| Pressure mark or physical damage | Bruise, cloudy patch, crack, line, distortion, or spreading mark. | White, gray, and normal content. | Document the issue and use the damage support route. |
| App, browser, video, or camera artifact | The issue changes by app, browser, video, camera photo, or file. | Compare the same color or content elsewhere. | Retest outside that app or camera before treating it as a display defect. |
Test without letting settings hide the problem
Start with normal brightness
Then compare higher and lower brightness. Do not judge severity only from a maximum-brightness test.
Turn off or note color-changing features
Night Shift, Night Light, True Tone, adaptive color, eye comfort modes, color filters, HDR, custom profiles, vivid modes, and gaming or movie modes can change what you see.
Clean the screen and remove reflections
Dust, oils, glass reflections, and screen protectors can look like tint, haze, or uneven color.
Compare another browser or app
If the issue only appears in one app, browser, video, or camera image, do not treat it as panel proof yet.
Do not judge only from a phone photo
Camera exposure and white balance can exaggerate tint, glow, and banding.
Document what remains visible
If the issue is visible during normal use and on more than one test screen, record the conditions before contacting support.
Save proof before a return or warranty claim
If the issue is visible during normal use, document it before changing many settings. Save the device model, display mode, brightness level, HDR status, color profile or screen mode, browser or app used, room lighting, and the test pattern that shows the issue most clearly.
Take photos that match what your eyes actually see. Phone cameras can exaggerate tint, glow, and banding, so include notes about what is visible without the camera.
Use a more specific test when the symptom is clearer
Tiny fixed dot
Use Pixel Test when one point stays black, bright, or fixed in one color across solid screens.
Open Pixel Test
Edge or corner glow
Use Backlight Bleed Test when black or dark gray reveals fixed bright corners, edge haze, clouding, or IPS-glow-like behavior.
Open Backlight Bleed Test
Persistent ghost image
Use Burn-In Test when gray or solid screens reveal a taskbar, logo, keyboard, HUD, or static UI shadow.
Open Burn-In Test
Pressure, crack, line, or distortion
Use the damage route when the mark looks bruised, cracked, spreading, distorted, or tied to pressure, liquid, heat, or impact history.
Review pressure damage
Sources checked
We checked official display, device, and platform support pages to keep the testing notes aligned with current public guidance. These sources support the limits around brightness, color settings, HDR, calibration, manufacturer diagnostics, and support decisions.
- Apple Support: Adjust brightness and color temperature on iPhone or iPad · AppleChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms True Tone, Night Shift, brightness, auto-brightness, and accessibility settings can change display color and intensity.
- Microsoft Support: Change display brightness and color in Windows · MicrosoftChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms Night light, color profiles, display calibration access, and automatic color management.
- Microsoft Support: HDR settings in Windows · MicrosoftChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms HDR can affect color, brightness, saturation, and app appearance.
- Google Pixel Help: Manage screen and display settings on a Pixel phone · GoogleChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms Pixel brightness, Night Light, Natural, Boosted, Adaptive, Saturated, and adaptive tone settings.
- Samsung Support: Adjust your Galaxy phone or tablet display settings · SamsungChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms Samsung screen modes, adaptive color tone, brightness, eye comfort shield, and model variation.
- Dell Support: How to run a diagnostic test on a Dell monitor · DellChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms manufacturer diagnostics are used for faded color, banding, lines, and other display issues.
- LG Support: How to use LG Calibration Studio · LGChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms hardware calibration uses display settings, color targets, and a measuring instrument.
- ASUS Support: LCD monitor troubleshooting for abnormal screen color · ASUSChecked June 3, 2026. Confirms abnormal colors can involve reset, resolution, driver, connection, and warranty-policy checks.
Screen Color Test FAQ
What is a screen color test?
A screen color test shows solid colors, gray fields, gradients, and contrast patterns so you can inspect visible display behavior. It helps reveal tint, uneven brightness, banding, suspicious marks, and broad color issues. It does not professionally measure color accuracy.
What does a white screen test show?
A white screen makes dirt, smudges, dark dots, tint, dim zones, and uneven brightness easier to see. Clean the screen before judging the panel because dust and oils can look like defects.
What does a black screen test show?
A black screen helps reveal dark-scene behavior, bright dots, edge glow, clouding, and raised blacks. If the main issue is edge or corner glow, use the Backlight Bleed Test next.
What do red, green, and blue screens test?
Red, green, and blue screens help reveal whether a tiny point fails to change with the rest of the screen. If one dot stays wrong across colors, use the Pixel Test.
Can a browser color test calibrate my monitor?
No. A browser color test can show visual patterns, but professional calibration requires display settings, color profiles, and often measurement hardware. Use it as an inspection aid, not a colorimeter.
Why does my screen look yellow or blue?
A tint can come from display mode, white point, Night Shift, Night Light, True Tone, adaptive color, eye comfort settings, HDR, color filters, or a custom profile. Turn those settings off or note them before assuming the display is defective.
Why does my gray screen look uneven?
Gray can reveal panel uniformity, tint, banding, clouding, or image retention. If it looks like edge glow, use the Backlight Bleed Test. If it looks like a persistent UI shadow, use the Burn-In Test.
Is a color issue the same as a dead pixel?
No. A dead or stuck pixel is a tiny individual dot. A color issue usually affects an area, the whole screen, or a transition between tones.
Is black-screen glow a color problem or backlight bleed?
Black-screen glow is usually better handled as a backlight bleed, IPS glow, or dark-screen uniformity question. Use the Backlight Bleed Test if the glow comes from corners, edges, or cloudy dark patches.
Is a ghost image a color problem or burn-in?
A persistent taskbar, logo, keyboard, or app shadow is closer to image retention or burn-in than a general color issue. Use the Burn-In Test to inspect that symptom.
Can a browser test prove warranty coverage?
No. It can help document what you see, but manufacturer and retailer policies vary by product, region, warranty, display type, and severity. Check the official support page for your device.
How should I document a display color problem?
Record the model, brightness, display mode, HDR status, color profile, browser or app, room lighting, and which test screen shows the issue. Take photos that match what your eyes see and include normal-content examples if the issue affects real use.