Gamma Calibration Test
Test your monitor's gamma correction and grayscale accuracy with professional-grade patterns
💡 Why This Test?
Gamma defines the relationship between input values (0-255) and actual brightness output. Standard gamma 2.2 ensures images appear consistent across devices. Incorrect gamma makes images too dark (high gamma) or washed out (low gamma), affecting shadow/highlight detail.
This test displays patterns at different gamma values (1.0-3.0) so you can verify your monitor matches the 2.2 standard. Properly calibrated displays show smooth, neutral grays without visible banding, color tints, or crushed shadows.
✅ What You'll Check:
- Whether your display follows gamma 2.2 standard
- Smooth grayscale transitions without banding
- Neutral grays (no red, blue, or green tints)
- Shadow detail preservation in dark tones
- Consistency across R, G, B, and white channels
📖 How to Use This Test
- Test in a dark room for accurate gamma perception
- Start the fullscreen test with default settings
- Navigate through 5 gamma patterns (vertical, horizontal, blocks)
- Look for the pattern where numbered blocks "blend" into background
- Test all 4 colors: white (most important), red, green, blue
- The blocks that disappear indicate your display's gamma
- Ideally, gamma 2.2 blocks should blend seamlessly
💡 Tip: Most displays target gamma 2.2 (sRGB). If gamma 2.0 or 2.4 blocks blend instead, adjust your monitor's gamma setting in OSD. Banding indicates an 8-bit or lower panel. Color tints suggest white balance issues.
Click to start fullscreen gamma testing. Use arrow keys to navigate patterns.
📊 Understanding Gamma
✅ Correct Gamma 2.2
Smooth gradient with good shadow and highlight separation
⚠️ Low Gamma (1.8-2.0)
Washed out, too bright - shadow detail lost
❌ High Gamma (2.4-2.6)
Too dark - crushed blacks, poor visibility
📋 Testing Guidelines
🎯 What to Look For
- • Find blocks that "disappear" into background
- • That gamma value is your display's actual gamma
- • Gamma 2.2 is the standard for sRGB
🎨 Test All Colors
- • White (grayscale) most important
- • RGB channels should match gamma
- • Color tints indicate white balance issues
🔍 Common Issues
- • Banding: 6-bit or 8-bit panel limitation
- • Tinted grays: Poor white balance
- • Different gamma per color: Channel imbalance
Note: Most displays ship with gamma 2.2 (sRGB). macOS sometimes uses 1.8 (legacy). Professional monitors offer adjustable gamma curves.
🔧 Common Issues & Solutions
📊 "Gamma 2.0 or 2.4 blends instead of 2.2" (Incorrect gamma calibration)
What's happening: Monitor's gamma curve doesn't match sRGB 2.2 standard. Factory settings often incorrect - cheaper monitors ship at gamma 2.0 (brighter, better for bright rooms) or 2.4 (darker, better blacks perception). Professional monitors (EIZO, BenQ SW series) accurate out-of-box. Gaming monitors often 2.0-2.1 for "punchier" image.
Why it matters: Images/videos mastered for gamma 2.2 look wrong. Photos appear washed out (gamma 2.0) or too dark (gamma 2.4). Color grading work invalid if gamma incorrect. sRGB spec requires 2.2 for consistent cross-device appearance.
✅ Solution: Access monitor OSD > Picture/Color Settings > Gamma > Set to 2.2 or "sRGB" mode. Dell: Preset Modes > sRGB locks gamma 2.2. ASUS: GameVisual > sRGB mode. LG: Picture Mode > sRGB. If no gamma option: Use GPU calibration - NVIDIA Control Panel > Adjust desktop color > Gamma (caution: affects GPU output not panel). Or use DisplayCAL/Argyll for ICC profile with correct gamma curve.
🎨 "White gamma test shows green/blue/red tint" (White balance/RGB gain imbalance)
What's happening: RGB channels have unequal intensity causing color cast in neutral grays. Green tint most common (human eye sensitive to green, manufacturers over-boost for "brightness"). Blue tint on cheap LED backlights (cool white LEDs). Red tint rare, indicates aging backlight or miscalibration.
Color temperature vs white balance: Color temp (6500K, 5000K) adjusts overall warmth. White balance adjusts individual RGB gain. Even at correct 6500K, can have green/magenta tint if RGB balance wrong. Professional monitors have separate R/G/B gain controls. Consumer monitors: Preset color temps (Cool=9300K, Normal=6500K, Warm=5000K) with fixed RGB ratios.
✅ Solution: OSD > Color > Color Temperature > User/Custom mode > Adjust R/G/B gain. Reduce green if green tint, increase red/blue. Target: D65 white point (6500K). Use colorimeter (X-Rite i1Display Pro, $250) for accurate calibration. Free method: DisplayCAL software with cheap colorimeter ($70 Spyder). If no RGB controls: Try different preset color temps - "Warm" often more neutral than "Normal". Avoid "Cool" (9300K, always blue-tinted).
📏 "Visible bands/steps in smooth gamma gradient" (Limited bit depth or poor processing)
What's happening: Panel or signal chain limited to 8-bit (256 shades per channel). Gamma test uses subtle gradations (difference between gamma 2.1 and 2.2 is ~2-3 color values) revealing quantization. 6-bit+FRC panels worse. Poor scaler/TCON chip can also introduce banding even on true 8-bit panel.
Bit depth requirements: sRGB needs 8-bit minimum (256^3 = 16.7M colors). 6-bit displays 262K colors - visible banding. 10-bit (1.07B colors) eliminates banding in gradients. Check: GPU outputting 8-bit vs 10-bit? Cable bandwidth (HDMI 1.4 vs DP 1.4)? Windows color depth setting?
✅ Solution: Verify 8-bit or 10-bit output: NVIDIA Control Panel > Change Resolution > Output color depth > 10-bit. AMD: Display > Pixel Format > RGB 4:4:4 10 bpc. Use DisplayPort not HDMI for 10-bit. If panel is 6-bit+FRC: Inherent limitation, some banding normal. For professional work: Upgrade to true 8-bit IPS or 10-bit panel (BenQ SW270C, Dell UP2720Q). Enable GPU dithering may help smooth transitions slightly.
🌈 "Red/Green/Blue gamma different from white gamma" (RGB channel imbalance)
What's happening: Each color channel has different gamma curve. E.g., Red at gamma 2.3, Green at 2.1, Blue at 2.2. Creates color shifts in midtones. Cheap monitors don't calibrate per-channel gamma - use single gamma value for all RGB. Better monitors (Dell UltraSharp) have independent RGB gamma curves.
Impact on color accuracy: Skin tones look wrong (red/orange shift). Grayscale not neutral (color cast varies by brightness level). Color grading unreliable. Professional standards (Rec.709, DCI-P3) require matched RGB gamma within 0.05 tolerance.
✅ Solution: Hardware calibration required - use colorimeter + software (DisplayCAL, X-Rite i1Profiler, BasICColor). Creates LUT (Look-Up Table) correcting per-channel gamma. Monitors with hardware LUT (BenQ SW series, EIZO ColorEdge) store calibration in monitor not GPU. Consumer monitors: Calibration stored as ICC profile in OS (less accurate, bypassed by some apps). If no calibration gear: Accept limitation or upgrade to pre-calibrated professional monitor (factory calibrated, deltaE < 2).
👁️ "Gamma looks different from top/bottom/sides" (IPS glow or TN viewing angles)
What's happening: LCD viewing angle limitations. TN panels: Severe gamma shift off-axis (2.2 center, 2.5 bottom, 1.8 top). Brightness and color change dramatically. IPS panels: Better but still some gamma shift at extreme angles (>30°). VA panels: Moderate gamma shift, worse than IPS. Only OLED has perfect off-axis gamma (no backlight, per-pixel emission).
Why it happens: LCD crystals twist light differently at angles. Backlight leakage varies by viewing position. IPS glow (silvery haze at corners) caused by light refraction through crystals at 45° angles. Not a defect - inherent to IPS technology. TN: Crystals align vertically - huge color/gamma shift top-to-bottom.
✅ Solution: View monitor straight-on (90° perpendicular). Adjust monitor height so eyes level with center (not looking up/down). TN panels: No fix - viewing angle limitation is fundamental. Upgrade to IPS for better angles (LG, Dell UltraSharp). IPS glow: Normal for technology, minimize by reducing brightness and avoiding dark rooms. VA: Best contrast but worst color shift. OLED: Perfect gamma at all angles but risk of burn-in.