Sometimes, you will see an image that contains a soft color going from dark to light, or sometimes even from light to lighter. These shades of the same color (also in black and white) will show incorrectly on monitors using only 16bit colors. You will see blockiness in the color shades, or sometimes radial color separation between one shade and the next. The way to solve this and to view the photos like they should be viewed is to set your colors to 32bit colors. To do that, (in windows), right click on your desktop and select PROPERTIES. Select the SETTINGS TAB, and check the color quality level; make sure it is set to 32bit. This will greatly improve the way you see people's photos... and yours!
Use the following images to test your monitor. You should see unified and smooth gradiants from light to dark. Some are circular, others linear. If you see distinct color separations and grain in the image, chances are your computer is set to use 16bit colors or lower. (It is possible that older computers, older video cards or older monitors support only 16bit color and lower.)
You'll also find that if your graphics card happens to only let you specify 24bit, that you'll be fine too as the alpha channel isn't adding a whole lot, other than simplifying the data widths.
Also though, again depending on the vaguaries of how your card is designed, that the 32bit mode may well be faster than an equivalent resolution 24bit mode.
most cameras only capture in 24 bit color really (I've seen 32 bit cameras and they're pricy and usually only used in photographing faint stellar objects or in certan scientific applications)
the only thing most video cards use alpha channels is for simplifying blending when in 2D consumer grade monitors only display 16 million colors anyways (yep even the mac studio displays!)
only reason I know this is because I was looking into buying a 32bit FITS compatible camera hahaha I guess I'll just go for a B&W with color filter wheels.
It would be awefully nice for consumer grade cameras to someday get a true 32 bit treatment might make blown out highlights and film :O a thing of the past.
