Burnedin

Burnedin, typically written as burned-in or burn-in, is a term used to describe a persistent afterimage on a display caused by the uneven or prolonged exposure of static imagery. It is a form of image retention that, in severe cases, becomes visible even when the original image is no longer shown. The phrase is often used interchangeably with image retention, though burn-in implies a more lasting or irreversible condition.

Causes of burnedin include displaying static content for extended periods, such as logos, status bars, or UI elements, at high brightness. Certain display technologies are more prone to burn-in: organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, plasma screens, and older cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays commonly show burn-in, while LCDs are less susceptible though they can exhibit temporary image persistence under some circumstances. Burn-in results from unequal wear of subpixels or phosphors, leading to a ghosted image that remains after the content has changed.

Symptoms involve ghostly or shadowy images that align with a fixed region of the screen, sometimes with color tints or reduced contrast. In OLEDs, burn-in can become noticeable as pronounced areas of wear, whereas on CRTs and plasmas it may appear as a faint permanent imprint.

Prevention focuses on avoiding long, uninterrupted display of static content. Practices include using screen savers, lowering brightness, enabling pixel-shifting or automatic content protection features, rotating wallpapers, and varying on-screen content. If burn-in occurs, recovery is limited; some displays offer pixel-refresh or service-based interventions, but these do not always fully remove the effect. Overall, burnedin is a well-known challenge across display technologies, with the risk minimized by proactive usage patterns.