S95H, the latest flagship OLED TV, recently earned Pantone Validated ArtfulColor certification, a designation awarded to TVs, displays, cameras and printers that reproduce color with a high degree of fidelity under controlled lighting conditions. That means stunningly precise colors when watching content and a realistic, museum-like experience when displaying art.

The certification is a particularly significant milestone for Samsung OLED, as S95H is engineered to deliver deep contrast, precise color expression and an unparalleled, distraction-free viewing experience. The TV’s deeper blacks and Glare Free technology help preserve textures and tonal variation, making art feel more immersive on screen.

To learn more about what this means for the art-viewing experience, Samsung Newsroom spoke with Ed Hattenberger, OEM Senior Color Scientist and Matt Knoll, OEM Technical Director, at X-Rite Pantone. They share how Pantone Validated ArtfulColor is evaluated, why color fidelity matters for viewing art and how display performance can shape the way artwork is experienced at home.

Q. Could you tell us a bit about your role at Pantone and the work you do?

Hattenberger: As an OEM Senior Color Scientist at X-Rite Pantone, I’ve spent more than 15 years specializing in Pantone color development standards and in bringing real-world colors into the digital realm. I also led the innovation of various digital color products at Pantone, including the Pantone Validated program.

Knoll: I’m an OEM Technical Director for X-Rite Pantone. I have more than 20 years of experience in hardware and firmware development at X-Rite, with much of my work focused on reflective color measurement and display calibration products.

What Art Can Reveal About a Display

Q. What does Pantone Validated ArtfulColor evaluate and what does the validation mean for a display?

Hattenberger: Pantone Validated ArtfulColor evaluates the ability of displays to faithfully render on-screen colors to match an extensive range of physical Pantone Colors and Skin Tones under controlled lighting conditions. For displays, Pantone Validation means that a product’s color reproduction has been measured against Pantone’s reference color data and meets defined performance thresholds for color fidelity and consistency.

Knoll: Displays that earn ArtfulColor status reproduce the test colors with a high degree of visual accuracy, resulting in a close perceptual match between the on‑screen image and the physical color sample.

Q. What differences can viewers actually see when viewing a Pantone Validated ArtfulColor TV versus one that is not?

Hattenberger: A Pantone Validated ArtfulColor TV delivers more precise, trustworthy visuals, especially for artwork and photography. Viewers can expect cleaner neutrals, more lifelike skin tones and color saturation that better reflect the artist’s intent. These displays also preserve shadow detail, so every brushstroke and color appear more natural and consistent.

Q. Why does color fidelity matter more when a TV is used to display art and photography?

Knoll: In creative work, color is never incidental. Color, balance and slight variation all shape how a piece is experienced. That is why color fidelity matters so much. Even slight shifts can alter the mood, depth and overall intent of the original work.

The Science Behind Color Fidelity

Q. How does the ArtfulColor validation process work from start to finish?

Hattenberger: The process evaluates a display’s ability to match Pantone Colors under controlled lighting conditions. This involves measuring a set of Pantone colors and skin tones in a light booth, then assessing how faithfully the display reproduces them on screen under those same conditions.

Q. Why does controlled lighting matter when evaluating a display for art?

Knoll: Reproducing true real-world colors on screen depends on matching the light source, color sample and rendered content for the intended observer. Displays are typically measured against D65, an industry-standard white point that approximates neutral daylight, so it gives Pantone a consistent point of reference.

It also helps reduce the influence of warmer or cooler room lighting, which can change how white, contrast and color are perceived. Using controlled lighting helps ensure the display is evaluated as accurately and consistently as possible.

Q. How does Pantone make sure the results apply to real artwork and photography, not just lab test patterns?

Hattenberger: Pantone goes beyond digital test patterns by using physical color samples that behave more like real artistic media. That helps verify whether a display can accurately reproduce gradients, subtle tonal transitions, textures and near-neutral tones across artwork and other visually complex content.

At the same time, the home viewing environment can influence how color is perceived compared with a controlled test setting. Ambient light, reflections, viewing angle and even wall colors can all affect perception, so while validation confirms the display’s underlying performance, the room still plays an important role in what people see.

How Samsung OLED S95H Helps Art Look Its Best at Home

Q. From Pantone’s perspective, what makes Samsung OLED S95H well-suited to display art with high color fidelity?

Knoll: OLED is particularly well-suited to high-fidelity art reproduction because its pixel-level luminance control delivers true blacks and very high contrast, preserving fine detail critical to art. S95H’s wide color gamut supports accurate reproduction of saturated pigments, paints and digital art colors, while stable viewing angles help color and luminance remain consistent across the screen.

Q. Samsung OLED S95H features award-winning Glare Free technology that eliminates distracting reflections. How do glare and reflections affect the way art is seen on screen?

Hattenberger: Glare and reflections can interfere with the way art is seen on screen. They lift black levels and soften contrast, which can reduce depth and color fidelity, especially in darker parts of an image. They can also introduce color casts from the surrounding environment, affecting neutrals and shifting hues.

When people view art, they expect a clear, unobstructed image. Reducing reflections helps preserve tonal accuracy and the integrity of the work.

Q. How has Pantone’s validation approach evolved alongside newer display technologies like OLED, HDR and wide color gamut?

Knoll: Pantone’s evaluation approach has evolved with display technology itself. With OLED, that includes evaluating pixel-level luminance control, deeper contrast, wider color reproduction and consistency from bright highlights to near-black areas.

Q. When viewers see the Pantone Validated ArtfulColor mark on a Samsung TV, what does it say about the viewing experience?

Hattenberger: The ArtfulColor mark signifies that S95H has been carefully evaluated to confirm a high level of color fidelity, including consistent hue rendering, stable grayscale performance and repeatable color behavior under controlled lighting conditions.

Ultimately, it gives viewers greater confidence that the art they see on screen is being presented faithfully to the original work.

S95H newly joins The Frame Pro and The Frame in receiving the certification, as Samsung remains the only TV brand to offer Pantone Validation ArtfulColor and continues to expand Samsung Art Store¹ across more screens. S95H features the new FloatLayer Design, with a slim metal bezel that mounts flush to the wall for a floating effect. This gallery-inspired look makes the display a striking centerpiece, particularly when displaying art. For the first time on a Samsung OLED TV,² Samsung Art Store subscribers can access over 5,000 works by more than 800 artists, including exclusive collections from MoMA, Musée d’Orsay, Art Basel and others.

1. Samsung Art Store is available only on select OLED models: S95H globally and S99H in Europe. ︎
2. S95H and S99H only. ︎

The 2022 Samsung Lifestyle TVs won the ‘Eye Care’ Certification from Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE) in Germany, one of Europe’s largest technical-scientific associations with more than 36,000 members. The certification applies to Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TV models including The Frame, The Serif and The Sero. The screens are evaluated on various categories, including ‘Safety’, ‘Gentle to the eyes’, flicker level, uniformity and color fidelity.

(From left) Seokwoo Yong, EVP and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics and Cherif Kedir, President & CEO of VDE

The new Lifestyle TVs were assessed for safety from blue light emission and melatonin inhibition levels based on a light hazard classification method set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TVs satisfy the IEC’s standards for screen flickering, which can cause eye fatigue or headache for viewers. They were also recognized for excellence in color fidelity and picture quality uniformity, both elements of which contribute to eye comfort level while watching TV.

(From left) Seokwoo Yong, EVP and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics and Wyatt Brannan, Vice President of North America Consumer, Medical & Information Technology of UL

Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TVs¹ were also verified as ‘Glare-Free’ by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a leading independent safety science company. UL’s verification validates the ‘Glare-Free’ claim by assessing the products against Unified Glare Rating (UGR) testing standard set by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). Samsung’s new Lifestyle TV models use a new Matte Display with anti-glare, anti-reflection and anti-fingerprint properties to deliver the optimal brightness and provide the best picture quality without glare.

• Reflected Glare, which determines whether the objects on a TV screen are visible even when external light is reflected on the surface
• Discomfort Glare, which determines whether a TV screen is too bright
• Disability Glare, which determines whether a TV screen is overly bright when watching TV in a dark room

These glare assessments were calculated based on test results of watching TV in both 300 lux, which is equivalent to a brightly lit work area, and in 70 lux, which is usually the value for a dimly lit work area.

(From left) Seokwoo Yong, EVP and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics and Raj Shah, Vice President at Marketing of Pantone

Additionally, Samsung’s all new 2022 QLED models received the world’s first ‘Pantone Validated’ certification from Pantone, the world-famous brand in the global color industry and creator of the Pantone Matching System (PMS).

These models receiving this recognition from Pantone include all 20 newly released models – 15 QLED TVs in both 4K and 8K and five monitors. Samsung’s 2022 QLED TV line-up was recognized for its accurate expression of 2,030 Pantone colors and newly added 110 skin tone shades.

“As TVs become more of an entertainment hub in the home, there’s an increased demand for screens with top-tier picture quality that minimize eye strain,” said Seokwoo Yong, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “This recognition from leading global institutes validates our technology that delivers best-in-class images along with the most comfortable watching experience.”

¹ Applicable to Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TVs consisting of The Frame, The Serif and The Sero.