Contrast test
Stepped gray bands at the extremes of the range: sixteen shades rising from pure black, sixteen falling from pure white, and a full gray scale. Count the bands you can distinguish — merged bands mean crushed shadows or clipped highlights. Click or press → to change screens, Esc to exit.
Contrast FAQ
- What should I see on the black level screen?
- Sixteen bands from pure black upward. In a dim room, a well-set-up display separates all but the first band or two; if the four or five darkest bands merge into one black mass, your screen is crushing shadows. On the white screen it's the mirror image: the brightest bands merging means clipped highlights.
- How do I fix crushed blacks or clipped whites?
- Start with the monitor's own brightness and contrast controls: raise brightness slightly if dark bands merge, lower contrast if bright bands merge. Picture presets are a common culprit — 'vivid' or 'dynamic' modes trade shadow and highlight detail for punch, so try a neutral or sRGB preset. On TVs, also check that the input is set to the correct HDMI black level (full vs. limited range).
- Does room lighting affect the result?
- Strongly, at the dark end. Ambient light raises the apparent black floor, hiding differences between the darkest bands even on an excellent panel. Judge the black level screen in a dim room, and the white saturation screen in the lighting you normally work in.