Horizontal Resolution Test (1024 x 768) September 16, 1998 This test lets you check and improve sharpness and horizontal resolution. What to look for: Examine each set of alternating black and white stripes. If the black and white stripes are gray and indistinct, then your monitor may be set to too high a resolution. (In other words, your graphics card may be attempting to drive the monitor at 1,024 by 768 resolution, but if the full-resolution pattern is not clear, you may want to use a lower resolution.) Image sharpness is affected by many factors including dot pitch, focus, intensity, convergence, and refresh rate. The graphics card, connector cables, and anti-glare screen treatments can also reduce image sharpness. What you can do: Clean the screen! Surface dirt or film will cause internal reflections that fuzz out the image. Anti-glare screens may also cause internal reflections that reduce sharpness. Use your monitor's focus and convergence controls to reduce problems in these areas. Turn down the contrast control. This will reduce the beam size and sharpen the image, at the expense of intensity and contrast. Reduce the refresh rate for the monitor. There is a tradeoff between sharpness and flicker; a high refresh rate will reduce flicker but will also reduce sharpness. Try a variety of settings to find the best compromise.
