What is a Monitor’s Gamma?

The Gamma number of your display informs you how bright each pixel is at each brightness setting, from 0 to 100%. Lower gamma can provide a flatter, washed-out image which makes it more difficult to perceive stronger highlights while also making shadows appear brighter. Whereas a higher gamma would make it more difficult to perceive details in shadows. You can also customize image quality on some monitors via the various gamma modes. However, a value of 2.2 is the sRGB color space standard.

Gamma is significant because it impacts the bright and dark areas, including shadows and midtones. Monitors with inadequate gamma can either wash out or compress detail at different locations, giving the overall image a flat, uninteresting appearance.

Typically, if you are using the Windows operating system, a gamma value of 2.2 will produce the most true color (a value of 1.8 for Mac OS users). Therefore, a gamma value of 2.2 is therefore strived for while testing monitors. The gamma range of a monitor shows how far the lowest and highest readings deviate from the 2.2 benchmark (the smaller the difference, the better).