What is LCD Backlight Bleeding and How Can It Be Fixed? (2024)

Explainer

By Bryan M. Wolfe

Updated November 27, 2023

Backlight bleeding happens with LCD monitors and televisions. Here’s how to check for blacklight bleed and solutions to fixing it.

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) remain a popular choice for televisions and computer monitors. Unfortunately, these can be affected by a defect called backlight bleeding. Occurring when light isn’t entirely blocked around a display’s bezels, the imperfection is fixable in some cases, although not always. This irregularity most often happens when the monitor is brand new and not something that occurs after long-term use.

Although backlight bleeding can occur on any LCD type, it most affects vertical alignment (VA) displays. This LCD type offers the best contrast and image depth versus IPS (in-plane switching) and TN (twisted nematic) displays. Without voltage, the liquid crystals found in a VA display remain perpendicular to the substrate, which creates a black display between crossed polarizers. However, with voltage applied, the liquid crystals shift to a tilted position, allowing light to pass through to create a gray-scale display that depends on the amount of tilt generated by the electric field.

What is Backlight Bleeding?

Source lightbleedtest.com

As designed an LCD display is supposed to block out excess backlight that is not needed when displaying an image or video. When light leaks around the edges of the display, you have backlight bleeding, which affects the image and video clarity.

There are two types of backlight bleeding: flash lighting and clouding. With the former, the backlight bleeding occurs in the corners of the display. Excessive flash lighting could cause the center of the display to look dimmer than other normal monitors. With clouding, you’ll see patches of light across the entire display when you expect a fully black screen.

Is It IPS Glow?

You might detect that your monitor is suffering from backlight bleeding. However, it might be the glow that’s associated with another type of LCD, IPS.

Short for “in-plane switching, IPS displays use liquid crystals arranged in rows between two glass surfaces to produce rich colors. With IPS glow, you’ll see a visible “glowing” around the corners of the panel when the rest of the screen is black. Solutions to removing IPS glow include adding ambient lighting to your room and reducing the monitor’s brightness. Changing the distance and angle that you’re looking at the monitor also helps with lessening IPS glow.

Source: lightbleedtest.com

Testing

There’s a simple test you can perform to confirm your LCD has bleeding and not IPS glow. I suggest you perform this test immediately when you purchase a new monitor. Then, if there is a problem, you can return the monitor while its warranty is still active.

Turn off the lights in your room. Preferably, do this at night.
Set the monitor brightness to your desired level. Do not set it to the maximum setting.
Open a pitch-black image or a black screen.

You can also use the website, lightbleedtest, to test for the defect.

Fixes

There are various fixes you can try to fix any minor bleeding problem. These include:

Slightly loosen the screws at the rear of the display, which can reduce flash lighting.
Apply black electrical tape around the edges of the display.
Reduce the screen brightness until the backlight bleeding is no longer noticeable.
Use local dimming when available on the monitor.
With a microfiber cloth, softly rub the area on the display where backlight bleeding has occurred. In some instances, this can reduce backlight clouding.

When is Backlight Bleeding Acceptable?

Some level of backlight bleeding might be unavoidable because of the technology behind LCDs. However, you’ll know soon enough when the amount of backlight bleeding on your device is not acceptable. Hopefully, you figure this out while the monitor’s warranty is still active. Because of this, I can’t stress enough the importance of doing the backlight bleeding test when you first purchase the monitor.

If you experience backlight bleeding on your monitor, you can take various troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue. In most instances, this won’t require buying a new monitor.

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FAQs

What is LCD Backlight Bleeding and How Can It Be Fixed? ›

Backlight bleeding is simply some of the backlight leaking through. There are no ways to completely remove this, though it can be reduced in some scenarios. If you have too much backlight bleeding, you can RMA your display.

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How to fix backlight bleeding? ›

Fold a soft microfiber cloth into a small square and apply gentle pressure to the areas affected by backlight bleed. This method can help redistribute the layers and reduce the unwanted illumination. Remember to be gentle and avoid using excessive force.

What is the reason for screen bleeding? ›

This usually means the pixels in the screen are damaged. Damage can be caused by dropping or hitting the smartphone. Unfortunately there is no simple way to fix bleeding without replacing the entire component. Check if you have device protection that may cover the repair.

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How do you reduce backlight bleed in IPS? ›

Use bias lighting: Placing a light source behind your monitor, such as an LED light strip, can help balance the light levels in your environment and make backlight bleed less noticeable.

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Do all monitors have backlight bleed? ›

Even high-end monitors have backlight bleed and IPS glow. It's just something you cannot get around no matter how high-quality your production process is. It's an inherent issue with LED-backlight-monitors.

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How to fix LCD bleeding? ›

If exposed, mildly loosen the screws at the rear of the display (this can reduce flashlighting) Using a microfiber cloth softly rub the area where the backlight bleeding is prominent (this can reduce backlight clouding) Reduce the screen brightness until backlight bleeding is unnoticeable.

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What causes LCD backlight bleed? ›

Backlight bleeding occurs when the layers which make up the monitor or TV screen become misaligned. When this happens, pressure forms inside the display, which changes the alignment of the components that emit light. This misalignment directs light in the wrong direction and leads to backlight bleeding.

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How do I know if my screen is bleeding? ›

Identifying a light issue with your Monitor. Light leak or backlight bleeding is often noticeable around the edges or the sides of a monitor screen. Especially while it is displaying a dark background or is in a dark environment. Ideally, light leakage must not be inspected in a dark room.

Is LCD backlight bleed normal? ›

Light leakage or light bleed refers to light leak from the backlight to the edges or corners of LCD screens. It is common on all LCD displays, not only Wacom displays. It is due to the nature of LCD panel structure, and is generally unavoidable based on current production technologies.

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What is the difference between IPS bleed and backlight bleed? ›

The difference is that backlight bleeding usually occurs at the edges while IPS glow occurs in the corners of the screen. Also, backlight glow doesn't change its intensity if you look from a different angle. The degree of IPS glow does depend on the angle from which you look at it.

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What is normal backlight bleeding monitor? ›

Backlight bleeding is an effect where light leaks around the edges of your screen, making it unevenly lit. This cannot be remedied, but it can be partially prevented by buying a high-quality monitor and being careful with it.

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Is backlight bleeding noticeable? ›

Light leak or backlight bleeding is often noticeable around the edges or the sides of a monitor screen. Especially while it is displaying a dark background or is in a dark environment.

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Do all LED TVs have backlight bleed? ›

Unfortunately, all LED TVs have some imperfections as a result of the backlight. Backlight bleed can include flashlighting, which looks like a flashlight has been pointed across the corners of the television, and clouding, which looks like brighter patches on parts of the screen.

Can backlight bleed go away on its own? ›

Can backlight bleed go away on its own? Sometimes. All LCD screens have some backlight bleed at first, but as the pressure around the panel weakens with use, it will become less noticeable. If you've had your device for a while, the backlight bleed probably isn't going away.

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Can backlight failure be fixed? ›

If it's a backlight or power supply problem, it can be fixed. Usually, the problem stems from the high voltage inverter circuitry, either bad power transistors, capacitors, or thermal stress on the circuit board leading to broken solder joints. But fixing these problems can often be a short term solution.

Is it possible to fix a TV backlight? ›

The good news is that nearly all backlight failures are repairable. Once the damaged component is identified it can simply be replaced.

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