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Monitor Calibration Test

Four simple test patterns to check whether your monitor shows dark shadows, bright highlights and smooth gradients correctly. Switch to full screen for the most accurate view.

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Count how many squares you can tell apart from the black background. Ideally you can just see square 2 or 3.

How to use the patterns

  1. Let your monitor warm up for a few minutes and turn off night light, blue light filters and dynamic contrast.
  2. Open the black level pattern. Adjust brightness until you can just make out the darkest few squares while the background stays deep black.
  3. Open the white level pattern. Adjust contrast until the brightest squares are still distinguishable from the white background.
  4. Check gamma by stepping back from the screen and finding the box where the solid centre blends into the stripes.
  5. Finally look at the gradients. Smooth bars mean your picture processing is not destroying detail.

Why it matters for games

Crushed blacks hide enemies in shadows and dark corners, while raised blacks make everything look flat and gray. Clipped whites lose detail in bright skies and explosions. Getting black and white level right means you see what the game designers intended — and sometimes spot opponents earlier. Many monitors also have gaming picture modes that brighten shadows artificially; these patterns show you exactly what such modes change.

While you are tuning the screen, also run the dead pixel test to check every pixel works.

Frequently asked questions

Can a web page really calibrate my monitor?

Not precisely — true calibration needs a hardware colorimeter. These patterns help you set brightness, contrast and picture modes by eye so shadows and highlights are not crushed, which already makes a big difference.

I can’t see any squares on the black level test. What should I do?

Your black level is crushed. Raise brightness a little, turn off dynamic contrast or “black equalizer” modes, and check that your graphics card outputs full range RGB to a monitor (or limited range to a TV) matching the display’s setting.

All the black squares look gray. Is that bad?

It means blacks are raised, so the image looks washed out. Lower the brightness or black level setting until only the first one or two squares disappear.

What gamma should my monitor have?

Around 2.2 is the standard for most content on Windows and the web. Many monitors have a gamma setting; choose the one where the 2.2 box blends best.

Should I test in a dark room?

Use the lighting you normally play or work in, but avoid bright light falling directly on the screen. Turn off night light or blue light filters while testing.

Related

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