Gradient Test — Four Fullscreen Smoothness Checks
Professional Gradient Inspection
A professional gradient test: four lossless GPU-rendered gradients — linear gray, RGB channels, radial and hue wheel — exposing your panel’s bit-depth limits and banding at a glance.
Four Gradient Modes
Black→white linear, RGB channel chain, radial spread and a 360° hue wheel cover every gradient form.
Lossless GPU Rendering
CSS gradients render on the GPU with zero compression — any banding you see is the panel’s true limit.
Banding at a Glance
The gap between 8-bit+FRC and native 10-bit is impossible to hide on a long gradient.
Banding & Bit Depth
Color Banding
Visible vertical stripes in gradients when adjacent steps exceed the eye’s just-noticeable difference.
Depth Gap
8-bit gives 256 steps per channel — long gradients always band; native 10-bit’s 1024 steps stay silky.
Dithering
6/8-bit panels fake more steps via temporal/spatial dithering — smooth from afar, noisy up close.
Three Steps to Check Gradients
Gray Ramp First
Go fullscreen on black→white and watch the 0-20% dark region for stripes.
Channels & Hue
Switch to RGB channels and the hue wheel — every channel should transition equally smoothly.
Radial Verdict
The radial gradient concentrates all directions — banding appears as concentric rings.
Gradient Performance by Panel
Native 8-bit
Mainstream- · Slight stripes on gray
- · More visible in darks
- · Fine for daily use
- · Best value
8-bit + FRC
Near 10-bit- · Looks 10-bit from afar
- · Fine dither noise up close
- · Most “1.07B color” panels
- · OK for entry design
Native 10-bit
Pro- · Perfectly smooth
- · Needs DP1.2+/HDMI2.0+
- · GPU + app support
- · Grading essential
OLED
Watch darks- · Superb bright gradients
- · Near-black Mura
- · Dark-gradient banding
- · ABL limits fullscreen
Pro Tips
Confirm Output Depth
Enable 10 bpc in the GPU control panel (needs DP1.2+/HDMI2.0+ cable and panel support).
LUT Precision Matters
Pro monitors with 14-bit+ LUTs smooth gradients noticeably even with 8-bit input.
Add Noise on Export
Add 1-2% noise (debanding) to design gradients so they stay clean on 8-bit screens.
Real vs Fake Banding
Rule out compressed wallpapers/videos first — only GPU-rendered gradients show the panel’s truth.
FAQ
Recommended Test Environment
- Dim room, avoid glare
- Brightness at 50–70% daily level
- Disable HDR and color enhancement
- Confirm max GPU color depth
- Sit 50–70cm straight on
- Re-check dark gradients in full darkness