QF Electronics logo
QF ElectronicsOpen Cell Panels · Core Supply
Home / Resources / Buying Guides

LCD Panel Grades: What to Confirm With Your Supplier

LCD panel grades explained — A, A+ and refurb levels, how power-on inspection works, and the six points to confirm with any supplier before payment.

Open cell panels being handled and inspected before grading
Grades are only meaningful with power-on inspection — this check happens before every panel is banded.
Guide last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · written by the QF Electronics supply team · reviewed by product staff before publication

Open cell panels move through several lives before they reach a production line or a repair bench — which is why grade is the single most negotiated variable in panel sourcing. This guide explains how grading works at QF Electronics and the six points to confirm with any supplier before you pay.

How our grading works

Every panel is powered on and inspected before it is graded: dead pixels, lines, backlight uniformity and physical condition. The result places the panel in one of three bands:

GradeWhat it meansTypical use
ACosmetically and functionally near-newPremium repairs, brand-visible builds
A+Selected stock with minimal cosmetic marksQuality-sensitive assembly programs
Refurb levelsFunctionally tested; cosmetic wear documented per unitPrice-sensitive repair channels

Two rules make this usable for the buyer: the grade is stated on the quotation and packing list — no silent substitutions — and batch photos are attached before payment. The grade on paper is the reference for any claim. Full inspection & grade definitions →

Six things to confirm with any panel supplier

  1. Grade in writing, per line — on the quotation, not in a chat message.
  2. What the grade covers — pixels and lines only, or cosmetics too? Ask for the inspection items list.
  3. Batch photos before payment — of the actual units you will receive, not catalog samples.
  4. The claim reference — which document (quotation vs packing list) governs a dispute, and the inspection window on arrival.
  5. Sampling method — 100% power-on inspection or sample-based? Both exist in the market; know which you are buying.
  6. Third-party inspection — whether you may engage your own inspection company before loading. We coordinate warehouse access for this on request.

Grades and price — the honest trade-off

Grade differences are usually cosmetic, not functional — a refurb-level panel with documented wear performs like the A-grade unit next to it. Price-sensitive channels buy refurb deliberately; premium repair chains buy A. Neither is "better" in the abstract: the right grade is the one your customers pay for. What matters is that the grade you agreed is the grade that ships.

Our inspection & grading processSee a program walkthroughRequest a quote with grade in writing