Most, if not all, enthusiasts of graphic design and animation have experienced issues with computer monitors. Whether it’s issues relating to brightness, contrast, and color; or the realization that what you create on-screen looks very different from what you print or publish – we’ve all been there. Finding the best monitor for Graphic Design requires a decent amount of research.

We’re currently in an age where technology is advancing faster than ever, and a graphic monitor is no different. Access to better tech gets cheaper every year, and a great example of that lies in this review. Many of the monitors on this list outperform those used in design and animation for blockbuster films created five years ago.

We’ve put together this list of the ten best monitors for graphic design to help you find your perfect fit. We’ll help you find the best colors, display size, and functionality for the perfect design setup.

We’ve gone in-depth with each review, listing all relevant specs and information you might need. We’ve also included a handy buyer’s guide at the end of the article to help you understand some of the more confusing tech used in the latest models of computer monitors.

Whether you’ve got a six-screen desktop setup or are looking for a new monitor to plug your graphic design laptop into, we’ve got options for you. Now, let’s take a closer look at our contenders.

TLDR: Overall Best Monitor for Designers

The Best Monitor for Artists

EIZO ColorEdge CG2420-BK Professional Color Graphics Monitor is the best monitor for artists. It’s made for one purpose – digital art – and serves that purpose to the utmost degree (with a price point that shows they mean business).

The wide-gamut IPS LED display (with accurate color calibration and a bundled calibration sensor) displays an astounding 99% Adobe RGB Coverage, 1500:1 contrast ratio, and a somewhat lacking but still great 10ms response time.

This EIZO monitor is going to produce some of the best color accuracy you’ve ever seen (or haven’t seen – because most monitors can’t produce the same colors). With this monitor, you’ll be free of color accuracy woes for the rest of your days. While this monitor is costly, it offers endless possibilities for graphic design professionals or anyone who makes a living through photo and video editing.

Best Budget Monitor for Graphic Design 2024

The Dell Ultrasharp U2719DX 27” WQHD IPS is our top pick for the best budget monitor for graphic designers and animators.

Dell is known for making some great quality computer monitors, and this one is no different. With a 27” HD display, very thin bezels, and USB 3.0 Ports on the bottom of the monitor, it’s a great trade-off between price and performance.

It’s not only one of the most affordable monitors on this list but also one of the best Dell monitors for graphic design. It also rotates to a vertical mode, which can really come in handy if you’re working on print-format design work.

Best Monitors for Graphic Design Compared

In a rush? Have a look at this brief summary of the best graphic design monitors.

 

The 10 Best Monitors for Graphic Design Reviewed

Here’s our roundup of the ten best graphic design monitors for creative professionals. Although you’ve got an idea of the winners in different categories, these in-depth reviews are essential to read before you make your purchase.

You’ll notice we’ve added a few essential buying points to each and a list of pros and cons so that you can compare and consider them at a glance. We’ve also included a price rating of $-$$$ so you can see what range each product is in.

Be sure to also check out our buyer’s guide section at the end of the article. It explains what you should be looking for in a monitor, as well as some of the confusing terms that are used for color, size, and resolution specs.

ASUS ProArt PA32DC  4K OLED Professional Monitor

 

• Resolution: ​​3840 x 2160
• Display: 4K HDR LED Display
• Color Support: 100% Adobe RGB IPS
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 5-inches
• Price: $$$

The ASUS ProArt graphic design monitor is named as such for a reason. While it’s not as advanced as high-end EIZO monitors in terms of color gamut, we think it’s a great contender at a far lower price point. Thanks to its features and specs, we find it’s one of the best 4k monitors for designers and found it to perform equally well for animation and video editing.

The spectacular 3840 x 2160 display offered an immersive experience. We especially appreciated the flicker-free technology of the monitor, which helps reduce eye strain. We were also quite satisfied with the three HDMI ports and the USB 3.0 and USB-C ports, which made for easy plug-and-play.

From our experience, this high resolution monitor is an all-around excellent choice. It has the bonus of two versatile stand options (and allows for wall mounting), and it’s low on power. We also loved that it has a low-blue-light mode to aid with sleeping patterns for late-night or early-morning use.

Plus, if you purchase this monitor from Amazon before 31 August 2024, you’ll get a free 3-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.

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EIZO ColorEdge CG2420-BK Professional Color Graphics Monitor

• Resolution: 1920×1200 Pixels
• Display: LED IPS display
• Color support: 99% Adobe RGB Coverage
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 1”
• Price: $$$

This ColorEdge monitor from EIZO is a beast, all things considered. It’s built to last and created for two things: accurate color and outstanding image quality. It’s the gem of gems when it comes to graphic design monitors, as far as we’re concerned, and its specs show that to be true. But the price point also reflects this quality.

We were blown away by the monitor’s Wide-Gamut IPS LED display, which can achieve an astounding 99% Adobe RGB color range. This makes it a must-have for anyone doing large-scale print production design. This is the kind of color gamut you’d want if you were creating a building-sized print wrap or something of a similar scale.

One thing that disappointed us with the specs is that the resolution is somewhat smaller than most monitors with a lower color range, sitting at 1920×1200 pixels. We’re guessing this is because a higher resolution, combined with the rest of the specs, would bump the price a fair bit.

Besides that, though, the monitor has DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI inputs, as well as a great 1500:1 color ratio. With its 10ms grey-to-grey response time, we wouldn’t say it’s exceptional for gaming — but you’ll have a blast using this monitor for animation and graphic design.

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BenQ PD3200U 32” 4K Thunderbolt 3  – Best Monitor for Animation

 

• Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Display: 4k UHD Display
• Color support: 100% sRGB color gamut
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 32-inches
• Price: $$$

This color accurate monitor from BenQ was designed for creators, as such, it’s one of the best 4k monitors for graphic design and animation. This is one of the things we love about BenQ — they create their products with utility in mind.

This monitor features an impressive 100% sRGB color gamut over a 32-inch display with a max resolution of 3840×2160. We found it to be the perfect monitor for anything from home animation work to professional-level graphic design. It’s LED-backlit, with a 1000:1 native contrast and a 60Hz refresh rate, making it great for hands-on design with a tablet or pen mouse.

The monitor has an HDMI, DisplayPort, and DVI, as well as a USB 3.0 port. So you won’t have to worry about digging around under your desk to plug all your devices in. Plus, it has an awesome CAD/CAM mode, which makes it the best monitor for 3D modeling on our list.

All in all, we think it’s a great monitor on all fronts if you can afford to spend a little more. We’ll admit it’s a little over the top for most home users. But it could undoubtedly be the upgrade you’re looking for if you’re a professional or a professional-to-be.

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GIGABYTE M27Q 27” Monitor for Graphic Designers

• Resolution: 2560 x 1440
• Display: SS IPS display
• Color support: 92% DCI-P3 (140% sRGB) color gamut
• Refresh Rate: 170 Hz
• Display Size: 27”
• Price: $

If you’re as serious about gaming as you are about your graphic design, this budget-friendly monitor has your back. We loved this GIGABYTE M27Q monitor for its high 170Hz refresh rate and incredible 95% AdobeRGB color gamut coverage. Pair that with a 0.5ms response time, and you have a monitor that’s ready to overperform on your viewing expectations.

While it won’t outperform any of the high-end monitors we’ve listed here, the price drop is much greater than the drop in performance. This makes it perfect for beginners, those on a budget, or anyone looking to set up their desk with two smaller monitors on either side of their main one.

With a 0.5ms response time, and a large 2560 x 1440 px SS IPS display, it meets almost all of the add-on spec requirements of all the big players we’ve reviewed here. Connectivity options include two HDMI and two USB 3.0 ports, as well as a DisplayPort. It’s also also blue light filtered, meaning it’s excellent for long periods of repeated use.

When you combine all of these features with its low price, wonderful sturdy build, and near-borderless design, we think it makes for a great monitor. And, when you’re not taking advantage of the Studio Grade VESA Display during work, the AMD FreeSync Premium will ensure ultra-smooth gameplay during your downtime.

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Best Dell Monitor for Graphic Design: Ultrasharp U2719DX 27” WQHD IPS

• Resolution: 3440 x 1440
• Display: 4K/UHD IPS Display
• Color support: 99% sRGB color gamut
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 27 inches
• Price: $

If you’ve got a little more to spend than the previous monitor, you’re in for a treat. This Dell monitor is our pick as the best budget monitor for designers for good reason.

Dell pulled out all the stops with the latest Ultrasharp model to provide a monitor that saves on costs but doesn’t compromise on quality. While we found this monitor to lack some of the fancier flairs of other industry-level monitors we’ve tested, this is a beast of a contender at an astonishingly low price.

First and foremost, the thin and tastefully designed borders and the 90-degree swivel make this line of monitors one of our top picks for multiple-display setups. If you’ve seen a desktop setup with monitors in sequence divided by perfect-looking, thin borders, this is likely the monitor you’ve seen.

Encased within these super-thin borders is a 27-inch IPS display, three-directional adjustment with tilt, a quick response time, and a 99% sRGB color gamut. We really loved the 178-degree viewing angle, which made it perfect for wall-mounting or alternate-placement setups. It also meant that we didn’t experience any hue shift while working with the monitor at an angle.

It’s also got a whole host of I/ O support, with HDMI and DisplayPort, audio line out, and USB ports.

We think this is a fantastic Dell monitor for designers, meeting all industry standards. This monitor would probably be a wise purchase even if you’re not doing animation or graphic design work. The price makes it all the more worthwhile, although the base specs and standards are really what drive this monitor home for us.

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Apple Studio Display 5K  – Best Computer Monitor for Photo & Video Editing

• Resolution: 5120 x 2880
• Display: 5K Retina with 600 nits of brightness
• Color support: Wide color gamut
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 27 inches
• Price: $$$

The incredible Apple Studio Display is not only beautiful on the outside but also a super powerful tool for graphic designers and photo editors. This 27” monitor has adaptive sync, accurate color representation, built-in speakers, tilt adjustment, and so much more.

Unlike most monitors, this one is also fitted with a 12MP wide camera, studio-quality mics, and a six-speaker sound system to make those collaborative calls that much easier. While the Apple studio display is great for all kinds of creatives, its 14.7 million pixels and True Tone feature makes it especially great for graphic designers and video/photo editors.

This monitor also features three USB-C ports and a Thunderbolt port to connect to a compatible Mac. We also loved that the Apple Studio Display came with the option of two stands and allowed for VESA mount.

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Samsung 32” Viewfinity S80PB 

• Resolution: 3840×2160
• Display: UHD LED Display
• Color support: 98% of DCI-P3
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 32 inch
• Price: $$

This is another of the more affordable and less specialized options we tested. Most popular for digital artists, as per its reviews, Samsung Viewfinity S80PB produces a great, clear picture with pro-level precision color. We were quite impressed with the relatively low price point for such a capable screen

We were also thoroughly blown away by the specifications. The monitor features a maximum resolution of 3840×2160  over a 32-inch display, with a 98% of DCI-P3 color gamut and a quick response time.

Beyond the fancy specs, we were happy to see the standard features we were familiar with on Samsung monitors. These include MagicBright mode, a wall mount, an eco-saving setting, and an eye-saver mode. Plus, the matte display allows for consistent display without the use of a hood.

We were also impressed with its simplicity. It comes with one USB-C type charging port and supports 90W charging. It’s also got tilt, swivel, and pivot, all-in-all meaning you could probably connect your laptop to it and never touch it ever again.

This is a fantastic option if you’re looking for a good monitor upgrade, mainly in terms of pure screen size, color reproduction, and image clarity. We wouldn’t consider it a professional upgrade, but rather the everyday use and multi-purpose upgrade, for which you’ll struggle to find a good competitor.

It is, however, more than enough for most professional work in graphic design and animation. We’d even say it’s a lot more versatile than some of the monitors geared towards these sectors.

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LG UltraFine OLED 27EQ850 

• Resolution: 3440 x 1440
• Display: 4K UHD OLED
• Color support: 99% DCI-P3 and 99% Adobe RGB
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 27 inch
• Price: $$$

The main thing we absolutely loved about this LG UltraFine Monitor is its compatibility with Macbooks. Not only did it perfectly translate our Macbooks’ resolution, it also charged our laptop through the USB-C cable connection. So we didn’t have to connect our laptop to an additional power source while connected to the monitor.

The fact that it’s able to transmit an excellent resolution and data while charging our laptop — all through one cable — was super convenient and really left us impressed.

Regrettably, this sleek monitor doesn’t have built-in speakers. But we prefer using some top-quality noise canceling headphones to really get in the working zone, so this wasn’t much of a downside for us.

Besides the Type-C port, it also features three USB 3.0, two HDMI ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This allowed us to not only connect our Macbooks but any other laptop accessories we wouldn’t otherwise be able to connect.

We also loved that the software allowed us to split the screen into two or four windows. This allowed for maximum productivity and workflow on an HDR-10-compatible display.

This is the professional monitor, specifically for a Mac user and someone looking for the best screen quality, color, and detail reproduction that money can buy. Sure, it’s not the cheapest, but it’s all the more worth it when considering its no-fuss compatibility with Macbooks.

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Philips Brilliance 279P1 27” IPS: Best 4K Monitor Review

• Resolution: 3840×2160
• Display: 4K UHD IPS Display
• Color support: 122% Adobe sRGB / 103% NTSC
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 27”
• Price: $

This Philips Brilliance monitor not only offers a great display and fantastic color reproduction. It also has features that make it perfect for sitting in a conference room or office, for use with team members or clients, or for collaborating on whatever it is you’re working on.

The screen itself is a 27” 4K UHD IPS Panel. We enjoyed the fantastic brightness and clarity, as well as its strong color gamut at 122% Adobe RGB and 90% NTSC. It has two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, USB-C, and audio in/ out. What surprised us the most was that it had an ethernet port.

This monitor also has a built-in USB C docking station with power delivery, making it an all-in-one cable for all things display, data, and power. The monitor also features a SmartErgoBase, which allows for super-simple rotation and movement, a great feature to use in hand with the other abilities of this monitor.

This is a monitor for the workplace. If you’re working solo, freelance, on your own, or with a small team, it’s likely not the one for you (although the picture and color would certainly still meet your standards). We think this monitor works and fits best in a busy work environment where there’s much to be done.

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ViewSonic ColorPro Portable Monitor

• Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Display: HD OLED
• Color support: Pantone Validated
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Display Size: 6”
• Price: $

An essential tool for every professional worker these days is a portable screen. Now that we have more freedom to take our work on the road with us, having equipment that supports your needs is an investment. This ViewSonic ColorPro Portable Monitor is the best screen for graphic designers on the go.

The 15.6-inch portable monitor is factory calibrated and Pantone validated to deliver great results. We also really loved that it weighed only 2 lbs and was less than an inch thick. We also tested it with laptops, PCs, and Macs and found that it was compatible with all devices.

While this monitor is not the best choice for a professional office setup and won’t replace your professional curved monitor, it is certainly the best portable screen to have on hand as a graphic designer. The color accuracy of the ViewSonic was surprisingly good, and what was really cool was that it included a height-adjustable stand.

When we opened the box, we found a cover, an HDMI cable, a power adaptor, one USB-C to C cable, and one USB-C to A cable.

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What to Look for in Monitors for Designers and Animators

There are quite a few factors to consider when buying a monitor. Understanding these factors better, as well as the many confusing terms used for monitor specs, will help you make a more informed decision. This way, you’ll end up with a monitor that’s perfect for you.

Right Monitor Size and Shape

The most obvious and simple factors are shape and size. If you’re working from a tiny coffee table, you probably won’t want a 34” ultrawide monitor – and conversely, if you’ve got a giant workspace, an 18” little LED monitor probably isn’t ideal.

How to Measure Your Monitor

Monitor sizes are measured diagonally, so it’s a good idea to take out your measuring tape and create a cardboard cutout of the screen size you’re looking at to see how it’ll sit in your workspace.

Mounting Capabilities

Related to this, but slightly less important, is the base. More and more people are going for wall-mounted monitors to save on desk space and clutter. So if you’re looking for a wall-mountable one, be sure to double-check the specs.

Available Connectors

Connectors are also an essential factor. There’s no use in buying a monitor for graphic design if you’re going to end up using a converter attachment to connect it to your graphics card. This can cause issues with color, tearing, and other less-obvious areas. So always be sure to double-check that the I/O ports on the monitor are compatible with your existing setup.

USB Connection

Another factor that’s a little more of a luxury is a USB connection. Many ‘professional’ style monitors for designers and animators are starting to arrive with USB ports built into them to make plugging in and removing devices easier.

We’d recommend this as a feature in your monitor of choice as it solves a lot of headaches of being a designer. A few seconds saved each day adds up.

Graphic Design Monitors Specs Explained

Now, let’s take a look at some of the terms you might have heard used in monitor specs and descriptions. They’re all pretty simple when you understand them, and knowing what they mean will help you make a more informed purchase.

What Is an IPS Monitor?

IPS is a type of LCD Panel, like OLED (which you’ve likely heard of in the last few years). The type of LCD panel used in a monitor affects things such as contrast ratio, viewing angle, response time, and black levels.

IPS stands for “In-Plane Switching,” referring to the shifting patterns of the liquid crystals in the display (LCD stands for ‘Liquid Crystal Display’). In short, this means that IPS monitors have the ability to produce more accurate color performance and consistency at a higher range of viewing angles (up to 178 degrees vertically and horizontally). IPS is especially important if you’re searching for a gaming monitor.

IPS monitors can also display different color ranges, such as Adobe RGB – which is imperative for serious graphic designers who are trying to keep up with professional agencies.

What Is Contrast Ratio?

Contrast ratio refers to the ratio of luminance (or brightness) between the darkest dark, and the brightest white on the screen. In most cases, a higher contrast ratio is better.

Static contrast ratio refers to a measurement of this ratio at a single point in time, whereas Dynamic contrast ratio refers to a measurement taken over a period of time. In most cases, the static contrast ratio is the most important figure to keep an eye on.

Do keep in mind, however, that since most manufacturers test their own contrast ratios, it can be a less accurate metric on which to compare monitors. It’s one of the aspects of graphic monitors that are often abused for advertisement/catchphrase purposes. For example, your 1 000 000:1 contrast ratio probably isn’t quite that high.

Monitor’s Color Accuracy: sRGB and Adobe RGB Explained

This is where things get a little confusing, and this comparison probably isn’t super important to you unless you’re an industry professional looking to go the extra mile. As a precursor, gamut refers to the range of colors available in a given monitor or application. Note that the range refers to the difference between the colors, not the number of colors.

sRGB is “standard Red, Green, Blue” and is the industry standard for everyday applications throughout the world. It’s got a smaller range of colors than Adobe RGB. It’s used in almost every app, web browser, and design tool you use daily and has the bonus of helping maintain consistency over all platforms.

If compared to Adobe RGB though, Adobe RGB allows for a higher range of colors, or color gamut, over the same number of colors. While this can cause issues in terms of being displayed on sRGB tools or accidentally converted to sRGB when opened with the wrong program, there are some upsides.

Obviously, a higher color range is desirable for print and production. It allows you to be far more accurate with your colors than you can with sRGB. It can also be converted to sRGB down the production line, making it a little more reversible than the former.

However, no one but real professionals will be able to tell the difference when looking at a monitor’s accurate color reproduction. In addition, You’ll have to adjust your workflow to incorporate this somewhat rare and tricky color range in a manner that doesn’t cause issues – so always be sure to double-check what your work monitor supports and if it can switch.

What Does UltraWide, 4K, QHD, and 5K Mean?

When you’re searching for the best PC monitor, you’re going to come across these phrases a lot. These terms all relate back to monitor size, but less so on a physical level. 1920×1080 pixels is the standard minimum for what makes a FullHD image. This is the basis on which most of these terms are constructed, so knowing that, let’s break them down simply.

• UltraWide – This refers to monitors with an aspect ratio significantly higher than 2:1. For example, a 4K UltraWide display has an aspect ratio of 12:5 instead of the usual 16:9 for a standard 4K display.
• 4K – This refers to a monitor or image with a horizontal resolution of 4000 pixels or more.
• 5K, 8K, etc. – Like 4K, the name denotes the screen’s horizontal resolution. For example, an 8K television horizontally has a minimum resolution of 8000 pixels.
• QHD / WQHD – QHD means Quad HD. This means that any screen of 2K resolution or more meets the QHD minimum. If a 2K screen has twice the horizontal resolution of an HD screen, then it has the same vertically – meaning it’s four times the minimum Full HD resolution. WQHD or Wide-Quad HD is essentially the same thing, only emphasizing that the screen in question has a widescreen style display, i.e., a higher aspect ratio.

All in all, you’ve got to consider all of these factors when you’re looking for a new monitor. They’ll help you understand the decisions you’re making and which specs you’re winning and losing.

While color gamut, for example, might not be as crucial to a hobbyist designer, it’s still cool to know what it means and will help you make informed decisions. Plus, it’s important to be aware of the tech terms so you can decide which is the best 4K monitor for your needs.

Best Graphic Design Monitor: Which One Is Right for You?

These reviews have perhaps been a confusing affair of specs, stats, comparisons, and numbers. But you should have a pretty good idea by now, regardless of where you’re headed. Be sure to refer to our buyer’s guide when choosing your final product, and we recommend always checking out a YouTube video or two before making your final purchase.

We hope you can find the perfect graphic designer monitor for you. We would love it if you shared any of your latest creations on your new monitor for our community to check out! Or you can even add them to our digital marketplace.

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