We have rounded up the best monitors that help you excel as a graphic designer. These will help you create visuals and projects that are more compelling and will make your clients happy so they come back for more. The industry is quite saturated and very competitive, so you must arm yourself with the best equipment right?
Our Top Picks: Best Monitors for Graphic Designers
If you need a reliable monitor that can excel in creative jobs, we have them right here.
ASUS ProArt OLED PA32DC
When it comes to color accuracy, this monitor stood out. This is a top-of-the-line monitor that graphic artists and content creators will feel like they are getting an upgrade. It stands out from the competition with an LED panel with pure RGB stripes. This feature is mainly responsible for delivering vivid and immersive colors. This can help fine-tune your work, every detail of your art comes through. It is also equipped with auto-calibration, so you can trust the color accuracy and there is less room for errors.
This can also display several HDR modes. It has a smart feature that can support varying HDR formats.
These features are crucial for graphic artists and even content creators as they need a wide range of color gamut so that they can precisely see and match what is on the display to the printed piece.
The downside is the refresh rate is slower. This may not be such an issue if you’re editing videos. But if you are designing games, then this might not be best suited for your professional work.
Viewsonic VP3268a-4K
One of the more outstanding features we have noticed from this monitor is the color accuracy and detailed calibration. There is no bleeding on the backlight, and each color space has its own display mode. This can be accessed directly on the screen, making workflow for any graphic artist more seamless. There is outstanding uniformity of brightness and contrast in the screen, so you can easily match color to what you need.
For the price it bears, it may have a mediocre panel and the response time is slower, but the level of color accuracy is not something you can expect from a unit in its price range. So we are pretty happy with this.
This is also an artistic and pretty monitor to look at. The slim and sleek frameless design looks more expensive than it really is. The screen display offers natural hues and many contrasts, which are immersive and easy on the eyes.
Keep in mind though that while it does support HDR, it’s not listed as an HDR-capable display. You may see this mode in the settings, but it is rather weak and you will be better off without it and just run it in SDR mode. It will still deliver great color performance, very well for a monitor in its price range.
HP Z34c G3
This is our top pick if you’re looking for an ultra-wide monitor. This wider space can prove itself useful in creative work.
It is also a curved screen, so if you are into something more immersive, this has lots going for it.
A wider screen is king in multitasking. If you need to open more panels at a time, it can help you work more productivity. Graphic artists often need to open multiple tabs at a time, so this can help maximize time efficiency. The brightness of the screen is quite impressive, you will be able to see the specs of your work easier and more precisely. It is calibrated and it comes with a sheet containing all the color gamuts.
If you need a wide, immersive, and ultra-bright monitor, look no further. The colors are also quite accurate, it can help you match better what you see on the screen versus the printed output. The screen is complete and well-appointed with all the features that you need to use. And if you need to hook your Macbook to it, you can easily do that.
The downside is, that the ports at the back are situated on the screen surround, so best not to use bulky cables and wires.
Apple Studio Display
If you have more moolah to spend and want a premium setup, this is king. It has over-the-top color accuracy even before the calibration, so there is actually no need to calibrate it.
White may not support HDR, but the screen has a wide range of colors with sharp images. The same is true when it comes to texts and Word documents, it comes off very sharp, and you will be able to see every detail of your work.
The viewing angles are very good and solid. This is a great monitor if you need to show people your work. The display is very vivid and alive.
However, keep in mind that the display can come off glossier. So there can be an issue in very bright rooms and spaces, it might reflect.
Another concern is, when it comes to ergonomics, you might have issues, it can be a bit finicky to adjust. And it can only be hooked up with a Mac computer. But if you have an Apple ecosystem already, this can be very convenient. You will be able to use Siri for hands-free commands.
And oh, the quality of the webcam is so-so, still decent but it doesn’t live up to the par of the other specs and features of this monitor.
BenQ Mobiuz EX3210R
This is a great contender when it comes to audio quality. While we focused more on the display and how precise, vivid, and detailed the colors are, you might still be in need of a monitor that has more prowess when it comes to sound quality.
The display is not far behind when it comes to meeting your expectations. From the wide viewing angles. The colors come off more alive and it is less likely that they will appear washed off. So what you see on the screen will be the same as the printed output.
It has a higher refresh rate, so this works extremely well in both still images and motion graphics. Audio quality is enhanced and it is easier to add sounds and sync images with the appropriate audio. This can be a better pick for video editing. The images will be rendered smoothly and there will be no blurring or stalling.
What You Need To be Paying More Attention To
Color accuracy and wider color gamut
Graphic designers often deal with color-sensitive projects. Be it still images or moving graphics, every detail needs to be the same as how they are on the screen and in the finished product.
Monitors with accurate color and a wider color gamut can ensure that designers will be able to see colors as they are, so there will be no room for errors and possible demand for rework.
A wider color gamut will also help designers create more vivid visuals since they can create more color schemes. This will also make their project surreal and immersive.
With these, they will be able to concoct more visually appealing work, which is crucial in a highly competitive business.
High resolution
Seeing every detail and specs of the design, be it in text or images, is very important. This enables graphic designers to do more precise work and deliver what is demanded of them by the client.
Consistency
There should be consistency across devices and the finished product. What you see on the screen should be the same as the output. A calibrated monitor will ensure this.
Viewing angles
This pertains to the consistency of the screen when viewed from different angles. It mustn’t be blurred or foggy at any point. This particular feature is crucial when a graphic artist is collaborating with a team. This will enable the members of the creative team to see the colors and images precisely as they are. The images should appear the same from every angle.
Monitors We Have Also Tried
These two monitors failed both in our expectations for color brightness and accuracy.
- AOC U32P2
This is a nice big monitor with great contrast. It has a well-balanced size relative to the pixel density. But when it comes to the color accuracy, it feels off. We didn’t see as vibrant and vivid images as we needed. So we see this more as a well-rounded universal office monitor rather than one you can dedicate to graphic designs and creative work.
- Philips 288E2A
This is an entry-level monitor that has a lot going for it. From the nice and crisp menu, and impressive viewing angles to detailed and sharp images, it may be able to help you come up with more precise work. But the issue is when it comes to the color accuracy and selection of color gamut, it is quite limited. The colors are less vibrant than what we want.
These monitors can make or break your career
While skills are innate, using an unreliable monitor that lacks the needed specs for creative work can undermine your talent. If you are a professional, you will be able to showcase your work better and give justice to it only by using a suitable monitor. It has a massive impact on your work and can allow you to excel and stand out.
