Newton Rings and how to get rid of them in displays

Newton’s Rings, named after the physicist Sir Isaac Newton, are optical interference patterns that occur when a flat, transparent surface (such as PMMA) comes into contact with another flat, reflective surface – such as an electronic display panel.

The result of this contact is an interference of light waves reflecting between the two surfaces, creating concentric circular patterns. This can result in:

• Image Distortion: Newton Rings cause distortion in the displayed information on-screen.
• Reduced Clarity: The rings also interfere with the clarity and sharpness of text, graphics, and videos shown on the electronic display.
• Color Aberrations: Lastly, these rings introduce unwanted colors into the display, which can distort the accuracy of color representation.

These circular patterns look like colored rings that can disrupt the viewing experience of the display in question. These rings can make the information on the display hard to read because they degrade image quality and distort the information displayed on the screen.

Touchscreen Applications

These distortions are not just on regular LCD and LED panels but can be even worse on touchscreen panels. When touched, the display window and underlying panel are pressed together, which creates these interference patterns, which, in worst-case scenarios, can ruin the viewing experience of the display.

The key to addressing Newton’s Rings in electronic display lies in the application of anti-Newton Ring solutions. These solutions aim to eliminate interference patterns and ensure that the content displayed on-screen remains clear and distortion-free.

This solution can both be optical films or surface treatments. Our recommendation, and what we typically use for our customers, is a special surface treatment applied on top of the base material. This base material can be both acrylic and polycarbonate display windows, with or without EMI shielding.

The surface treatment we typically use is called Fine Mat A1, which is actually a matte anti-glare surface treatment for reducing glare on the cover glass.

• Anti-glare and anti-reflective surface treatments are not the same thing. Curious to learn what the difference is? Then click here to read our article about it.

This article has given you an introduction to Newton Rings and how they can be virtually eliminated in displays requiring an anti-glare surface treatment – especially if the application in question is an anti-glare surface treatment.

If you have any questions regarding anti-Newton rings or our solutions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re always ready to help you.