DeviTestColor banding test
On a good screen, a gradient from black to white looks smooth. If you see visible stripes or steps, your display shows banding.
Runs right here in full screen — nothing is uploaded. Press Esc or ✕ to exit.
What is color banding?
Banding is when an area that should blend smoothly — like a sky or a gray background — shows separate steps instead. It happens when the screen or the image pipeline can't show enough shades.
Common causes
- 6-bit panels that simulate 8-bit color with FRC dithering.
- Over-tuned contrast or "vivid" color modes.
- Night light / blue-light filters or unsuitable color profiles.
- Compressed images and video — which has nothing to do with the screen itself.
Reading the result
- Start with the gray gradient: very faint steps are normal on many screens.
- Move to the color gradients: banding in one color only may point to that channel's settings.
- "32 gray steps" is supposed to show bands — use it as a reference.
- In the uniformity test, look for dark corners or uneven shading.
How to reduce banding
Reset the monitor to its standard mode, turn off extra color enhancements, and make sure your graphics output is set to 8-bit or 10-bit if the display supports it. If banding appears in one video or image only, the file is usually the problem, not the screen.
Frequently asked questions
Is a little banding normal?
Yes. Most 8-bit screens show faint steps on very smooth gradients, especially in dark tones. Wide, obvious stripes or colored bands on a gray gradient are what to look for. Keep in mind the test itself has 256 levels per color: on a screen 2,560 pixels wide each level is about 10 pixels wide, so very faint, evenly spaced steps are expected even on a perfect screen.
Can image compression cause banding?
Yes. Streaming video and compressed images often add banding of their own. This test draws gradients directly in the browser, so it shows your screen rather than a video file.
Does HDR or 10-bit fix banding?
A true 10-bit signal path can reduce banding, but only if the content, graphics settings, cable and display all support it. Many 'HDR' modes still send 8-bit with dithering.