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Why Do Colors in Graphics Appear Splotchy or Distorted?

By Sue Chastain, About.com

Question: Why Do Colors in Graphics Appear Splotchy or Distorted?

Why Do Colors in Graphics Appear Splotchy or Distorted?

Suddenly the colors in my graphics are all out of whack and distorted. My photos and images look splotchy, blotchy and just plain wrong in my graphics software. What can I do to fix it?

Answer: This can happen if your computer's display settings are not set to the maximum color quality. In Windows, right click on an empty area of the desktop and go to Properties > Settings, and make sure you color quality is set to the highest available option.

Often on Windows systems, a game or very old computer program can only run in low-color mode. These programs and games often reset Windows to a lower color mode when you start them and they are supposed to reset Windows back to your previous settings when you exit. However, if Windows or the program does not shut down properly, your system can get stuck in the low color mode and you may not realize it.

If you're finding your system is often reverting to a lower color mode, you may need to check with anyone else who uses the computer to try to identify the problem application or game. It also may be a limitation of your graphics card or system BIOS if they are very old.

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Sue Chastain
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Sue Chastain
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