Open a solid-color page, enter fullscreen at native resolution, and inspect the entire panel methodically. A white-and-black pass followed by red, green, and blue typically takes about five minutes in any modern browser.
Fullscreen color fields remain the standard first-pass check for display quality: they work on LCD and OLED alike and require no calibration hardware.
When a color test is worth running
- New hardware — first week with a monitor, laptop, tablet, or phone
- Return windows — document defects before seller policies expire
- Intermittent artifacts — flicker, tint, or dots that appear only on some backgrounds
- Color-critical work — a quick sanity check before editing or grading
- Cleaning prep — reveal smudges before you wipe (cleaning guide)
Setup checklist (about 60 seconds)
- Close overlays — chat apps, notifications, and browser extensions can cover pixels.
- Keep browser zoom at 100%. OS display scaling is fine; browser zoom is not.
- Prefer the display’s native resolution.
- Dim the room for black and grey fields.
- Use the tool’s fullscreen control so edges and corners are included.
Recommended color sequence
| Step | Color | Primary goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | Dead (always-off) pixels |
| 2 | Black | Stuck or hot pixels |
| 3 | Red, green, blue | Sub-pixel channel faults |
| 4 | Grey | Uniformity and banding |
For a deeper breakdown of each field, see best colors for dead pixel tests.
TestMyGears tools at a glance
| Task | Tool |
|---|---|
| Solid color backgrounds | Screen colors |
| Automated color cycling | Display tests |
| Native resolution & DPR | Resolution checker |
| Panel shape (16:9, 21:9) | Aspect ratio calculator |
| Motion blur & ghosting | Ghosting test |
| Touch coverage and accuracy | Touch screen test |
| Keyboard rollover | Keyboard test |
| Mouse buttons & scroll | Mouse test |
Desktop vs phone
Phones and tablets: Run portrait and landscape. Edge touch and brightness issues can appear in only one orientation.
Desktops: On multi-monitor setups, test each display separately. Fullscreen applies to one screen at a time.
Fullscreen shortcuts
- Windows / Linux: F11 or the on-page fullscreen control
- macOS: green window button or the tool’s fullscreen control
- Mobile: browser fullscreen; add to the home screen for faster return visits
Press Esc to exit when finished.
Mistakes that invalidate results
- Testing under bright daylight or strong glare
- Stopping after white and black without RGB
- Inspecting only the center — laptop and phone corners fail more often
- Labeling a speck “dead” before cleaning — see the dead pixel guide
