# Screen flashes with Arduino TFT\_eSPI library

**URL:** <https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/screen-flashes-with-arduino-tft-espi-library/17165>\
**Category:** PicoCalc\
**Tags:** hardware\
**Created:** [April 29, 2025, 11:24pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/screen-flashes-with-arduino-tft-espi-library/17165 "2025-04-29T23:24:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![picolisper](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/picolisper/32/11491_2.png) [@picolisper](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/picolisper)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 11:24pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/screen-flashes-with-arduino-tft-espi-library/17165/1 "2025-04-29T23:24:58Z")

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I’m writing some Arduino code for the PicoCalc. My code looks something like

```auto
  tft.init();
  tft.writecommand(TFT_DISPOFF);
  tft.fillScreen(TFT_BLACK);
  tft.invertDisplay(1);
  tft.writecommand(TFT_DISPON);

```

When I power it on, there’s a brief flash that looks like this:

 ![init](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/d/dc7e119b26f109cc528f19f38c3545c9db1fbdf7.jpeg)

I notice this doesn’t appear to happen with the PicoMite firmware, I haven’t tried any others. I assume this is due to the fill screen not clearing out the frame memory. Anyone have tips for clearing it before the screen comes up?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pkr](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/pkr/32/6084_2.png) [@pkr](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/pkr)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 11:53pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/screen-flashes-with-arduino-tft-espi-library/17165/2 "2025-04-29T23:53:23Z")

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Do what I did and set backlight to 0 while init 🤪

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenodante](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/zenodante/32/11547_2.png) [@zenodante](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/zenodante)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 1:59pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/screen-flashes-with-arduino-tft-espi-library/17165/3 "2025-05-01T13:59:05Z")

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fill the lcd vram before you send out the tune on command, then you will get ride of it.