With phosphor-based electronic displays (including cathode ray and plasma displays), the prolonged display of a menu bar or other static (fixed in place and unchanging) graphical elements over time can create a permanent ghost-like image of these objects. This is due to the fact that the phosphor compounds which emit the light lose their luminosity with use. As a result, when certain areas of the display are used more frequently than others, over time the lower luminosity areas become visible to the naked eye and the result is called burn-in. While a ghost image is the most noticeable effect, a more common result is that the image quality will continuously and gradually decline as luminosity variations develop over time, resulting in a "muddy" looking picture image. Most plasma display producers state a 100,000 hours time before brightness halves, theoretically allowing for over ten years of normal viewing before the display dims significantly.

Plasma displays also exhibit another image retention issue which is sometimes confused with screen burn-in damage. In this mode, when a group of pixels are run at high brightness (when displaying white, for example) for an extended period of time, a charge build-up in the pixel structure occurs and a ghost image can be seen. However, unlike burn-in, this charge build-up is transient and self corrects after the image condition that caused the effect has been removed and a long enough period of time has passed (with the display either off or on).

Plasma manufacturers have over time managed to devise ways of eliminating the past problems of image retention with solutions involving gray pillarboxes, pixel orbiters and image washing routines.