The Best Monitors For Designers

The Dell Ultrasharp U2720Q hits all the marks to be the best monitor for designers. It features a 4K IPS panel, which translates to excellent viewing angles and sharp text and images across the entire panel. It’s highly color accurate, too. Dell factory calibrates each display to achieve a Delta-E value of less than two, which is color accurate enough for professional work. With further tweaking, you can drop the Delta-E value to 0.5.

Additionally, the U2720Q comes with true 10-bit color and covers 95% of the DCI-P3 wide color gamut. It’s also certified for DisplayHDR 400 and covers 99% of the sRGB and Rec 709 color spaces.

For connectivity, the U2720Q features a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a USB-C port. The USB-C port supports up to 90 watts of power delivery, so you can keep your laptop charged while it’s connected to the display.

The HP DreamColor Z27x G2 lives up to its name. It’s a professional monitor built for the studio, featuring a built-in colorimeter for calibration, support for 10-bit color, and 100% coverage of the sRGB spectrum. It also covers 99% of the Adobe RGB and, impressively, DCI-P3 color spaces.

You trade color accuracy for resolution, though. The DreamColor Z27x G2 features a 1440p IPS panel, not a 4K one, but the screen space is smaller than most 27-inch monitors, so the pixel density shouldn’t be an issue.

Under the panel, you have access to a treasure trove of ports. For inputs, there are two DisplayPort 1.2 connections, two HDMI 2.0 connections, and a single USB-C connection. You also have access to four USB-A and a single USB-B connection, both of which support USB 3.1.

Additionally, the HP DreamColor Z27x G2 has a dedicated KVM switch for bouncing between computers, and it features a row of the buttons on the front of the display for getting around the OSD. The DreamColor Z27x G2 is an expensive monitor, but it’s built to handle even the most intense design and color work.

If a standard ultrawide doesn’t do the trick for you, there’s always the LG 49WL95C-W. It’s a super ultrawide display with a 32:9 aspect ratio and a max resolution of 5,120 x 1,440. That’s the equivalent of two 1440p monitors next to each other, just without the annoying bezel in the middle.

32:9 monitors are niche products, but that means they benefit from niche features — the 49WL95C-W included. The 60Hz IPS panel covers 99% of the sRGB spectrum, allowing you to achieve Delta-E values of less than one after calibration. The panel also comes with 10-bit color depth, so it’s capable of producing over one billion colors.

It’s not the brightest monitor with a typical brightness of only 350 nits, but the 49WL95C-W still supports HDR10 for high dynamic range content. The LG 49WL95C-W is color accurate enough, but the real draw is the size. It’s effectively two 1440p monitors stitched together and offers unmatched screen real estate for the most intense design projects.

The BenQ PD2720U is a 4K monitor that earns its price tag. The IPS display covers 100% of the sRGB spectrum, and with true 10-bit color, 96% of the DCI-P3 color space, too. It’s not super bright with a peak brightness of 350 nits, but it still supports HDR10.

Each monitor comes factory calibrated with a calibration report. Unlike a lot of other factory calibrated displays, though, the PD2720U comes with an out-of-the-box guarantee. BenQ says your panel will come with Delta-E values less than or equal to three, offering excellent color accuracy without further calibration.

Additionally, the monitor includes a KVM switch so you can quickly switch between computers, and it includes the Hotkey Puck G2 for free, which you can use to access difficult functions of the display without going through the OSD. For connectivity, you have access to dual HDMI 2.0 ports, a Display 1.4 connection, and a Thunderbolt 3 port. The Thunderbolt port includes 65 watts of power delivery and gives you access to the dual USB 3.1 ports on the monitor.

The BenQ PD2720U is another 4K monitor is a market swimming with them, but it manages to stand out with excellent color accuracy and a useful bundled accessory.

How do I choose a monitor for graphic design?

There are several factors that go into choosing a monitor for graphic design. Above all else, a good graphic design monitor comes with excellent color accuracy and uniformity. Look for a monitor with an IPS panel with support for 10-bit color that covers 99% or more of the Adobe RGB and sRGB color spaces.

Outside of that, resolution is important. Graphic designers are often working on highly detailed designs, so the more pixels you can get, the better. A 4K monitor is ideal for designers, but you can get by with 1440p if you’re not doing anything too detailed.

Do I need a 4K monitor for graphic design?

You don’t need a 4K monitor for graphic design, but it helps. The goal of a graphic design monitor is to give you an accurate representation of how your design will translate across screens. So, if you design on a lower resolution, you may miss some details that only become noticeable on a higher resolution display.

Are curved monitors good for designers?

Curved monitors aren’t inherently bad for designers, but flat panels are usually better. Curved monitors naturally distort whatever is on your screen. Although you may not notice the distortion when looking at your monitor alone, it becomes apparent comparing a curved panel to a flat one. Flat panels give you the most accurate representation of your design.

Are gaming monitors good for designers?

There isn’t much overlap between a good gaming monitor and a good design monitor. Gaming monitors focus on refresh rate and input response while design monitors focus on color accuracy, contrast, and uniformity. Some displays can do both, though.

There are gaming monitors, such as the Asus ROG Strix XG27UQ, that feature highly color accurate panels while also delivering a high refresh rate and low input response. They’re few and far between, though.

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