Software basics · Beginner

Z-fighting

Flickering stripes where two surfaces sit in exactly the same place

Also called Depth fighting

What is z-fighting?

Z-fighting is a flickering, striped glitch that appears when two surfaces sit in exactly the same place. The renderer cannot decide which one is in front, so they take turns showing through, often shifting as the camera moves. It is usually caused by duplicated faces or two objects placed flush.

Think of it like this

It is like two posters glued over the same spot on a wall, each peeking through the other wherever the glue is uneven.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.

How z-fighting works

  1. 01The renderer stores how far each pixel is from the camera, called depth.
  2. 02Two overlapping faces get nearly identical depth values.
  3. 03Tiny rounding errors pick a different winner from pixel to pixel.
  4. 04The result is a flickering, zebra-striped pattern where the faces overlap.

Where z-fighting is used

  • Spotting duplicate faces in imported or merged models
  • Checking floors, walls and decals that overlap
  • Tracking down flicker in game scenes seen from far away

Beginner tip

Never place two faces exactly on top of each other. For a sticker, label or decal, lift it a tiny distance off the surface it sits on.

Terms related to z-fighting

Z-fighting FAQ

What causes z-fighting?
Two faces in the same plane, most often from duplicate geometry, a flat object resting exactly on another, or copies pasted in place. A very wide gap between the camera’s near and far clipping planes makes it worse, because depth becomes less precise.
How do I fix z-fighting?
Move one surface slightly so they no longer overlap, or delete or merge the duplicate faces. If it only appears at a distance, move the camera’s near clipping plane out a little to give depth more precision.
How do I fix z-fighting in Blender?
In edit mode, select everything and run Mesh > Clean Up > Merge by Distance to remove duplicates. For two separate objects, nudge one away from the other. If it shows only in the viewport, raise Clip Start in the sidebar’s View tab.
Does z-fighting show up in the final render?
Often, yes. Real-time engines show it as flicker, and ray-traced renders can show speckled or patchy surfaces where faces overlap. Fixing the geometry is the only reliable cure.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms