OLED Burn-in & 5% Gray Uniformity Test
Inspect desktop WOLED/QD-OLED monitors and AMOLED smartphones for taskbar, HUD, status-bar, or icon burn-in and near-black vertical banding using 8 full-screen diagnostic patterns.
What does the pattern percentage mean?
The 5% label describes an RGB code value of approximately 13/255, not 5% of the display’s physical luminance or 5 nits. HDR, color management and monitor settings can change its appearance. One pattern does not diagnose permanent burn-in. Recheck a suspected outline with ordinary content and follow the model’s official maintenance instructions rather than forcing cleaning cycles.
Launch full-screen OLED inspection slides
Cycle through 5% Near-Black Gray, 10% Gray, 25% Gray, and solid Red, Green, Blue, Magenta, and Cyan slides to isolate sub-pixel wear and dark-field uniformity.
Image retention vs. permanent OLED burn-in
| Characteristic | Temporary Image Retention | Permanent Burn-in |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Faint outline on 5%–10% gray immediately after displaying a static high-contrast window. | Persistent shadow of taskbars, logos, keyboards, or HUD elements visible on red, magenta, and gray slides. |
| After Pixel Refresh | May fade after varied content or the model’s normal automatic maintenance; recheck under the same conditions. | Persistence at the same position warrants documentation and manufacturer advice; this pattern alone does not establish the cause. |
Frequently asked questions
Why do I see faint vertical lines on the 5% gray slide?
Near-black vertical banding on 5%–10% gray is a common characteristic of WOLED panels. On brand-new monitors or TVs, uniformity often improves after the first few automatic pixel compensation cycles during standby.
Which slide is best when inspecting a used AMOLED phone?
Set screen brightness to 60%–80% and inspect the Magenta, Pure Red, and 25% Gray slides. Check the top edge for battery/clock status bar shadows and the bottom area for keyboard or short-video app navigation buttons.
Step-by-step troubleshooting
HDR makes the desktop look washed out? Separate SDR from HDR
Compare a dim or washed-out desktop with HDR enabled. A practical workflow for SDR brightness, application differences and browser-test limitations.