Color Depth Test Online
Compare a smooth ramp with coarse 6-bit and finer 8-bit steps to see how much banding your panel adds.
Live screen test
Start with the real patterns.
A clean path should look nearly stepless here. This is not a 10-bit certificate.
What it checks
Use this test when you need a clear visual answer.
Color Depth Test is built for quick inspection, not lab measurement. It gives you controlled browser patterns so you can decide whether the screen needs setup, retesting, or warranty attention.
Shadow banding
6-bit stair-steps
Hue ramp roughness
Banding often shows first in shadows. Stripes here mean the panel or pipeline is posterizing dark tones.
This is what obvious 6-bit stair-steps look like. Compare it with the smooth ramp, not with a downloaded PNG.
Hue ramps, especially sky blues, often look rougher than grey. This is not a color-vision test.
Result guide
How to read the color depth result
Start with the smooth ramp pattern, then switch to adjacent patterns before making a decision. A real display problem usually stays in the same area when the pattern changes. A reflection, viewing angle shift, browser zoom issue, or temporary image setting often changes when you move your head, adjust brightness, or repeat the test after a restart.
Shadow banding
Use this page to isolate shadow banding under controlled screen patterns. Scan the center, edges, and corners, then confirm the same area with a second pattern before you treat it as a panel issue.
6-bit stair-steps
Use this page to isolate 6-bit stair-steps under controlled screen patterns. Scan the center, edges, and corners, then confirm the same area with a second pattern before you treat it as a panel issue.
Hue ramp roughness
Use this page to isolate hue ramp roughness under controlled screen patterns. Scan the center, edges, and corners, then confirm the same area with a second pattern before you treat it as a panel issue.
Workflow
How to use the color depth test
Start on the smooth ramp in a dim room at native resolution and 100 percent zoom.
Switch to the 6-bit steps so you know what obvious posterization looks like, then compare the 8-bit steps.
Finish with near-black and blue ramps. Those usually show banding first.
Use cases
Where this screen test is most useful
6-bit plus FRC panels
Cheap TN and some laptop panels hide dither. Look for crawling grain plus steps.
10-bit claim check
A true 10-bit path should look smoother than the 8-bit stair pattern.
Streaming and gradients
If skies band here, they will band in photos and video too.
Reading the result
Practical tips before you decide
Browser output is usually 8-bit
Even a 10-bit panel may get an 8-bit web canvas. Treat this as a visual compare, not a lab bit-depth meter.
Turn off extra processing
Dynamic contrast and heavy sharpening can create false edges on ramps.
Use fullscreen
A small preview compresses the ramp and hides steps.
Device setup
Use the same screen test across real viewing setups
The color depth test works best when the test matches the way you actually use the display. Keep the room lighting, brightness, scaling, and viewing distance close to normal, then repeat the pattern only after a setting change. This keeps the result practical instead of turning the page into a lab claim.
Desktop and laptop monitors
Use native resolution, 100 percent browser zoom, and the monitor picture mode you normally use. If you change brightness, contrast, overdrive, or color temperature, repeat the color depth pass before comparing results.
TVs, projectors, and large panels
Step back to your real viewing distance after a close inspection. Large screens can exaggerate small edge, glow, focus, or processing issues, so confirm anything suspicious with normal video, games, or desktop content.
Phones and tablets
Rotate the device if the browser supports it, clean the glass, and reduce reflections before judging the result. Some mobile browsers limit fullscreen behavior, but the same pattern sequence still helps with quick display checks.
Related tests
Continue with adjacent checks
Color Banding Test
Smooth gradients reveal banding, posterization, and compression-like steps that flat color screens can hide.
Greyscale Test
Walk 17 grey steps and solid gray fields to see crushed shadows, clipped highlights, tint, and dirty screen effect.
Gamma Test
Gamma affects midtone brightness. This test gives you reference patterns for judging whether gray steps look balanced.
Color Accuracy Test
Compare sRGB patches, a P3 versus sRGB split, and grey fields to judge color bias and wide-gamut behavior.
FAQ
Color Depth Test questions
These answers match the visible test on this page and avoid warranty or measurement claims that depend on your specific display.
How do I tell 6-bit from 8-bit?
The 6-bit pattern is intentionally coarse. If your smooth ramp looks almost as stepped as that, the panel or pipeline is posterizing. If the smooth ramp is clearly finer than the 8-bit stairs, the path is doing better than a rough 8-bit look.
Does this prove 10-bit?
No. A web page cannot certify 10-bit. It can only show whether gradients look cleaner than obvious 6-bit or 8-bit stairs.
Why do I see moving grain?
Many 6-bit panels use FRC dithering. The grain is the panel trying to fake extra levels. It is common, not a dead pixel.
Should I use this or the color banding test?
Use this page to compare stepped bit-depth patterns. Use the color banding test for a broader hue sweep. They share the same idea.
Is this a color-blindness test or an 8-bit versus 10-bit image download?
No. This page is a live ramp compare so you can see banding. It is not a color-vision quiz, and it does not download a PNG, footage file, or 8-versus-10 test image. Use the color banding test if you want a broader hue sweep.
Can I use the color depth test on more than one device?
Yes. Open the same page on each monitor, laptop, phone, tablet, TV, or projector, then compare the color depth result under similar brightness and room lighting. Device browsers can handle fullscreen differently, but the visual patterns are still useful for a practical check.
Does this online color depth test replace professional calibration?
No. This page is a browser-based visual test for finding obvious display problems and setup issues. For color-critical work, brightness targets, or measured calibration, use a hardware colorimeter or professional display workflow after the visual pass.
How to Check a Monitor for Dead Pixels
A reliable dead pixel check uses fullscreen solid colors, steady lighting, and a repeatable inspection path. The goal is to separate real panel defects from dust, reflections, scaling artifacts, and temporary cable issues.
How to Test a New Monitor
A new monitor should be tested before you mount it, remove packaging, or let the return window pass. Start with panel defects, then verify uniformity, tone, text clarity, refresh rate, and real content.
Monitor Calibration Guide
Browser tests can help you set a monitor to a sensible baseline and spot obvious problems. They do not replace a colorimeter, but they make brightness, contrast, gamma, sharpness, and banding easier to judge before hardware calibration.
Ready to inspect the full screen?
Open the fullscreen pattern and move through the test slowly.