A panel defining a front exterior of a cathode ray tube has an inner surface overlaid with a phosphor screen, and an outer surface overlaid with a tinted coating layer, wherein the tinted coating layer varies light transmission at the center and the periphery of the panel by being dark at the center and gradating brighter toward the periphery thereby preventing a difference in brightness of the panel between the center and the periphery thereof due to incremental growth in the volume of a black matrix and in the thickness of the panel toward the periphery.