01 / Why it exists
Make a closer look easier
A display can look consistent in one area and different in another. Zonal turns that vague impression into a deliberate route across the screen.
Its zone method is still subjective. It is designed to help repeat an observation, not to replace a calibrated uniformity measurement.
02 / What you can inspect
Nine focused visual references
Solid ColorCycle through black, white, RGB, cyan, magenta, and yellow to look for unusual bright, dark, or fixed pixels.
Black ScreenUse an uninterrupted black field to inspect possible edge glow, bleed, clouding, or uneven dark areas.
Uniformity FieldsCompare center, edges, and corners across neutral fields at several brightness levels.
Pixel GridSwitch among horizontal lines, vertical lines, a reference grid, and a checker pattern.
Sharpness TargetInspect fine text, radial lines, concentric targets, and corner detail for apparent softness or halos.
Contrast StepsCompare near-black and near-white steps to see whether adjacent tones remain distinguishable.
Grayscale RampView stepped and continuous gray ramps for abrupt jumps, tinting, clipping, or visible banding.
Color RampsInspect red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow transitions from dark to bright.
Motion TrailTrack a moving reference at three speeds to compare perceived blur, trailing, and animation smoothness.
03 / Principles
How Zonal is designed
Spatial thinking
Guidance is organized around the screen surface, not just a list of patterns.
Consistent position
Instructions call out viewing angle as an important variable.
Visual only
No percentage or automated pass/fail result is invented.