Pattern Diagnostics

Screen Color Test With White, Black, Gray, and RGB Patterns

Open the cleanest fullscreen pattern for the symptom you can see, learn what each color is good at revealing, and move into the right next test without treating every issue as the same problem.

Open color workspaceSee which pattern to use first

Need a fast white, black, gray, or RGB check?

Use this page to reveal the issue cleanly before you open a narrower test.

This page is the broad pattern launcher. Its job is to make the issue easy to see, reduce false positives, and route you into the specialist workflow that actually matches what the pattern reveals.

You are checking
which pattern makes the issue easiest to see and whether it behaves like a point defect, dark-scene issue, retention artifact, or broader damage symptom.
You will learn
what white, black, gray, and RGB are each good at revealing.
Then you can
open Pixel Test, Backlight Bleed Test, Burn-In Test, or damage diagnosis with more confidence.

Pattern launcher

Open the cleanest pattern for what you need to see.

White, black, gray, and RGB are the fastest way to expose broad visual issues before you open a narrower test.

Current pattern

White

Quick answer

A screen color test is best when the issue is broad or unclear and you need the cleanest pattern before opening a more specific workflow.

White exposes broad contamination fast

It is strong for dead points, dirt, dim patches, and obvious panel grime or clouding.

Black is your dark-scene filter

It is usually the fastest way to expose bleed, glow, and some pressure-related dark-field issues.

Gray catches subtle unevenness

It is often the most revealing pattern for blotches, retention, and uneven panel tone.

RGB helps decide whether the issue is point-like

If a single point keeps failing across red, green, and blue, open Pixel Test next.

What each color is good at revealing

Use the pattern that best matches the shape of the problem you can already see.

Pattern

White

Best for revealing

Dead points, dust, broad contamination, dim zones, and obvious brightness inconsistency.

Best next move

If one point stays wrong, move into Pixel Test. If the issue is broad and damage-related, move into `/damage`.

Pattern

Black

Best for revealing

Backlight bleed, IPS glow separation, some pressure hotspots, and edge haze.

Best next move

If dark scenes expose fixed bright patches, open Backlight Bleed Test next.

Pattern

Gray

Best for revealing

Retention, subtle blotches, uneven tone, and dark patches that disappear on white.

Best next move

If the shape looks like retention, open Burn-In Test. If it looks like damage, open the symptom routes.

Pattern

Red / Green / Blue

Best for revealing

Point defects, stuck subpixels, and single points that fail to change correctly.

Best next move

If the same point stays wrong across RGB, open Pixel Test next.

How to use white, black, and gray without misreading the result

These are the three most useful broad patterns. Most users should start here.

  • •

    Use white for obvious broad visibility

    White quickly exposes dirt, dead points, and broad dullness, but it also exaggerates surface smudges if the panel is dirty.

  • •

    Use black in the right room

    Dark-room or low-light conditions matter. Bright rooms and bad photos make black-screen issues harder to read accurately.

  • •

    Use gray when the issue is subtle

    Gray is often the best first pattern for blotchy dark areas, retention, and unevenness that does not show cleanly on white or black.

  • •

    Do not force one pattern to answer everything

    If the issue is clearer on another color, follow that. The goal is clarity, not loyalty to one screen state.

How to use red, green, and blue for point-defect checks

RGB patterns matter most when the issue is small, fixed, and point-like.

One point stays dark

That is a stronger reason to open Pixel Test and confirm whether the point is dead or simply being misread.

One point stays bright or the wrong color

That often points toward a stuck or hot subpixel rather than a broad panel issue.

The whole area changes with the background

That is usually not a point defect. It may be a broader panel or damage pattern instead.

RGB is a filter, not the final answer

Once the issue looks point-like, the specialist Pixel Test becomes the stronger route.

What common false positives look like

The easiest mistakes are usually surface-level, lighting-related, or camera-related.

Dust and smudges

These often look dramatic on white and almost disappear on black. Clean the panel first.

Reflections

Dark patterns in bright rooms can create fake haze, fake glow, or fake blotches.

Overexposed photos

A phone camera can make black-screen issues look much harsher than they feel in normal use.

Wallpaper or app background confusion

A real issue should stay visible on a clean fullscreen pattern, not only on one wallpaper or app.

What this test can confirm and what it cannot prove

This page gives you the cleanest pattern view. It does not replace the narrower workflows.

Question

Which pattern shows the issue most clearly?

This test can confirm

Yes. That is the main job of this page.

This test cannot prove

It cannot decide the full diagnosis without the narrower test or damage route.

Question

Is this a point defect, dark-scene issue, or retention-like artifact?

This test can confirm

It can strongly suggest which category fits best.

This test cannot prove

It cannot replace Pixel Test, Backlight Bleed Test, or Burn-In Test once the category is clearer.

Question

Is this definitely pressure, water, or heat damage?

This test can confirm

No. It may make the symptom easier to see.

This test cannot prove

Cause diagnosis still belongs in `/damage` when damage history matters.

Which next test to open after this

Use the pattern result to narrow the route, not to stop early.

  • •

    Point defect across RGB

    Open Pixel Test when one point stays black, bright, or fixed in one color.

  • •

    Bright corners on black

    Open Backlight Bleed Test when the issue shows up mainly in dark scenes.

  • •

    Retention or ghost image on gray

    Open Burn-In Test when static logos or UI shadows linger on OLED or phone screens.

  • •

    Broad damage symptom

    Open the damage routes when the issue looks bruised, blotchy, spreading, or linked to pressure, liquid, or heat.

Where to go next

Open the route that matches what the pattern made clear.

Pixel Test

Use this when the same point stays wrong across multiple core colors.

Open Pixel Test

Backlight Bleed Test

Use this when black reveals fixed bright corners, edge haze, or clouding.

Open bleed workflow

Burn-In Test

Use this when gray reveals ghosted logos or UI shadows that may be retention or burn-in.

Open burn-in workflow

Damage diagnosis

Use this when the issue looks bruised, blotchy, or clearly tied to pressure, water, or heat history.

Open damage diagnosis

FAQ

Is this the same as a pixel test?

No. This page is the broad color and pattern launcher. It helps you see which pattern exposes the issue most clearly. If the issue is a specific point defect, Pixel Test is the narrower classifier.

Why are white, black, and gray all useful?

White is strong for dirt, dead points, and broad contamination. Black is strong for bleed and some pressure hotspots. Gray is often strongest for subtle unevenness, retention, and blotchy dark patches.

Do I need all six colors every time?

No. Start with the pattern that best matches the symptom. Use white, black, or gray for broad issues and red, green, and blue when you need to confirm whether a single point changes correctly.

Can this page diagnose the cause of a dark spot or bruise?

Not on its own. It shows which pattern makes the issue easiest to see. Cause diagnosis still belongs in the damage routes when pressure, liquid, heat, or symptom history matters.

Jacob Dymond

Reviewed and maintained by Jacob Dymond

Founder, ScreenDetect

Last reviewed April 9, 2026

ScreenDetect maintains this page as a broad pattern launcher, not a catch-all diagnosis page. The goal is to help users reveal the issue clearly, reduce false positives, and move into the right specialist test or damage route without wasting time on the wrong workflow.

MethodologyPolicies and standards

Source basis