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Choosing the best monitor for graphic design could mean the difference between a poor layout and lack of productivity or a vivid, crisp image with 99% sRGB coverage and picture-in-picture for a perfect day’s worth of work. Our evaluation focused on color/grayscale accuracy, resolution, ergonomics, and the number of ports.
After more than 17 hours of research, our pick for the best monitor for graphic design goes to the Acer CB282K Monitor for Graphic Design. It is an all-around performer, with a striking 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), generous 178° viewing angle, and excellent ergonomics, including a full 360° swivel for a comfortable seating position. Keep reading to learn more about other best monitors for graphic design available for purchase. We’ve also got tips to help you find the best computer monitors for any need.
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This best monitor for graphic design comes with a crisp 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), bezel-less screen, and a 90% DCI-P3 color gamut, an excellent choice as a No. 1 monitor for a professional graphic designer.
While the top 40-inch computer monitor may work best for other uses, we consider the Acer CB282K the best monitor for graphic design. It’s is superbly accurate, featuring an IPS display, 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD resolution for a rich color palette, and a zero-frame design that maximizes screen space to capture every last detail. Viewing angles clock in at 178° for an ideal look from dead center on opposite sides.
You’ll find similar features in our Asus Designo curve MX38VC review.
Related: In case you are planning to spend long hours behind your monitor, consider buying the best monitor for eyes.
On the ergonomics side, this best monitor for graphic design helps extend those long working hours with Acer’s proprietary BlueLightShield and flicker-free technologies, which helps reduce screen flicker that causes eye strain over time. This is similar to what you’ll find in our Asus MZ27AQ Designo review that will keep your eyes safe. A separate technology, Acer’s ComfyView, works on its matte TFT screen to help reduce reflection and glare. Kudos for generous stand capabilities, starting with a -5° to 35° tilt, a whopping 177mm height adjustment, and a full 360° swivel. If you’re a graphic designer, this is probably the best business monitor for your office.
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This best monitor for graphic design comes with AMD Freesync technology for optimized refresh rates and black stabilization mode for dark image brightening – an excellent choice as a No. 1 or No. 2 monitor option.
This graphic design monitor is well rounded, starting with a 4K Ultra HD image with 99% sRGB coverage for outstanding color accuracy, translating exact hues and tones on the screen to print -critical for graphic designers. FreeSync reduces screen stuttering as a result of incompatibility between the native refresh rate and graphics card and Game Mode allows different color presets based on the type of game (e.g. first-person shooter and real-time strategy).
We love how easy it is to maneuver this best monitor for graphic design and photography. In addition to graphic designer-friendly navigation options such as Screen Split 2.0 for picture-in-picture (PIP), we are big fans of this monitor’s arc line design which uses a smooth base stand for improved stability. If you’re also a big gamer, our best curved monitor guide might also pique your interest.
Award: BEST AESTHETICS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This graphic design monitor comes with a crisp 4K UHD 2160p resolution for 1+billion plus colors and a metallic rimmed bezel with a sleek matte black finish, an excellent choice for graphic designers who want a bit of flair and loudness.
In addition to an IPS display with UHD 2160p resolution, our favorite feature with this graphic design monitor is its Picture-in-Picture (PIP) 2.0 technology with dynamic repositioning and resizing, which allows users to view or work on two apps at the same time. With this feature, we can edit, copy, and adjust/crop an image at the same time without breaking a sweat.
This graphic design monitor’s Eye Save Mode also applies a blue light filter and flick-free technology to protect your retinas over longer stretches of work. Kudos for a healthy number of ports, with options for one Displayport and two HDMI inputs. It’s a great option for anyone looking for the best widescreen monitor.
Award: BEST INTEGRATED SOFTWARE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This graphic design monitor features Display Pilot software for workflow management and a Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) Switch that shows files from two separate computers in one image, an excellent choice for designers needing two screens for more intensive projects.
This graphic design is pretty diversified. AQColor technology covers the majority of Adobe RGB, sRGB, and Rec. 709 spectrums for true-to-life color and accurate color representation when transferring on-screen projects to print. 4K UHD 2160p offers vivid color depth and contrasts and a 10-but screen is good enough to show up to 1.07 billion colors for a rich palette, helping this monitor compete with the best 32″ monitor.
Our favorite feature with this graphic design 4K monitor is its Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) Switch, which shows different items from two different screens in one, excellent for graphic designers who hate transferring files from one device to another. DualView also supports side-by-side file viewing with separate CAD/CAM, Darkroom, or Animation modes for optimized color based on content. Lastly, we love its health height, tilt, swivel, and pivot options with generous angles and range for optimized viewing. If sound quality is important to you, our best monitor with speakers buying guide might also be of interest to you. If you’re a big gamer, check out the best 32 inch gaming monitor as well if you like this monitor size.
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: This graphic design monitor offers a modest IPS panel with 1920×1200 resolution and healthy tilt, swivel, height, and pivot options – a solid, inexpensive choice for light graphic design work or everyday office use.
This graphic design monitor is pretty no-frills and gets the job done while being the cheapest option. Its basic 1920×1200 resolution and 300-nit peak brightness take the lead over 100% sRGB color accuracy and 10-bit color depth support for more than 1 billion shades of color. Consider this a better option or light graphic design projects using existing templates and typography over heavy graphics needing better color reproduction.
Arguably this best budget monitor for graphic design’s biggest strength is its rangy stand. Ergonomics is on point with a -5°/35° tilt, 90° pivot, and 150mm height adjustment, accommodating different seating positions. Thin bezels on this cheap monitor also help maximize screen space and VESA back panel 100x100mm bolt patterns allow for easy mounting on a wall and aftermarket support arms. If you need something with higher picture quality, the best 4k monitor is going to better suit your needs.
Award: BEST FOR GAMING
WHY WE LIKE IT: This graphic design monitor offers a blistering 3,840×2,160 TN panel and FreeSync adaptive sync support, an excellent choice for the most die-hard gamers to get their fix on between graphic design sessions.
This graphic design monitor is a powerhouse on the refresh rate side, with 1ms pixel response time, FreeSync technology, and a TN panel optimized for blazing fast refresh rates more synonymous with gaming. Regarding the picture, it offers a respectable (but not great) 96.3% sRGB and different preset graphics options based on the game played (e.g. lower brightness for first-person shooters).
We love this graphic design monitor’s ergonomics with solid height (140mm), tilt, pivot, and swivel angles for comfortable gameplay. Our only knock is that viewing angles could be improved with slight color shifts blue and red tinges when venturing too far left or right. Kudos for the sheer number of inputs on this machine, with three HDMI ports, a DisPort, and a VGA port to connect and charge all kinds of external devices. It’s a great choice for someone who is also looking for the best monitor for watching movies.
Award: BEST FOR OFFICE WORK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This 43-inch best graphic design monitor comes with an IPS panel for 4K UHD 3840×2160 resolution and a Kensington lock, making it a great choice for crowded offices.
4K UHD resolution really pops off the screen with this graphic design monitor with an IPS panel for rich color contrasts and detail, easily clearing 1 billion+ colors. Our favorite feature with this best graphic design monitor is Philips’ MultiView feature, which offers Picture-by-Picture (PbP) to work on four separate graphical elements at the same time.
Kudos for a healthy and diversified number of ports, including HDMI, DisplayPort, DCI, and a 4-port USB hub. All in all, we were very impressed with this graphic design monitor’s combination of picture quality and picture in picture functions. Are you a Mac user? We’ve also identified the best monitor for Mac Mini, which can further help you make a buying decision. And if you’re new to the updated port landscape, brush up on our guide to understanding what Thunderbolt 3 is.
Award: BEST FOR PHOTO EDITING
WHY WE LIKE IT: This monitor comes with a super 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD 4K display and PremierColor technology, which offers four-color spaces (including 99.5% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB) – perfect for graphic design and photo/video editing professionals who wants the highest color accuracy levels possible.
This Dell Ultrasharp UP3216Q graphic design monitor is loaded with features for graphic design professionals, starting with a whopping four color spaces (99.5% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB, 100% REC709, and 87% DCI-P3) and a 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD 4K resolution for a sharp and crisp picture for 1+ billion colors, perfect for video editors that need to accurately color correct a shot of vibrant colors plus other creative professionals. A 178° vertical and 178° horizontal viewing angle also allows excellent color accuracy across multiple seating positions.
On the charging port side, this professional monitor for design comes equipped well with four USB ports, a DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort, and an HDMI port. Our only knock is that it has an average brightness rating of 300 cd/m2 versus other ultrawide monitors, making it not the best option for facing heavily lit rooms. This impressive monitor is a great gift for anyone looking for the best photo editing monitor as well.
Award: BEST COLOR DENSITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: This graphic design monitor comes with ProArt calibration technology (14-bit look-up table) and a non-glare surface, an excellent choice for graphic designs working in bright rooms.
This high-quality graphic monitor emphasizes color reproduction with several standards, including dic-p3 and Rec. 2020. A 14-bit look-up table for an outrageous 4.39 trillion color palette is also one of the highest ratings we’ve researched, with most graphic design monitors coming with 8-but and 10-but tables for 16.7 million to 1+ billion colors, respectively. Designers will also appreciate customization options that save custom color profiles based on project and user – excellent for multiple designers sharing the same monitor.
One of our favorite features with this high-resolution graphic design monitor is its focus on comfort, with generous ranges across the board, starting with a 130mm height adjustment, +60-60° swivel, 90° pivots, and a +20° to 5° tilt. TUV flicker-free also works to reduce eye strain and prolong those long working hours. If color density and quality is an important factor, you might also want to check out our best HDR monitor guide.
Award: BEST QUALITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: This graphic design monitor comes with a respectable aspect ratio/LCD with 2560×1440 resolution and a 99% AdobeRGB coverage, a great well-rounded choice for graphic designers looking to perform less intensive editing work.
This 27-inch monitor is pretty solid in all areas, starting with a 10-bit color display that is capable of replicating more than one billion shades of color. A True Black display also optimizes darkness ratios for purer blacks, especially useful when viewing in bright rooms. 99% AdobeRGB coverage also works, especially useful for printing and photo editing projects where full-color representation is needed in transferring on-screen output to print.
Hardcore graphic designers will especially find ColorNavigator software useful in calibrating colors for optimal results. A whole host of settings can be managed, including tone and brightness to achieve the desired picture. All in all, this monitor’s combination of color reproduction and software makes it a winner. If you’ll be writing a lot of code, you might also want to consider the best vertical monitors on the market.
In determining the best monitor for graphic design to buy, we focused on color/grayscale accuracy, resolution, ergonomic, and the number of ports.
Color depth and grayscale accuracy are supremely important in a monitor for designers. The more accurate the colors on the screen, the better it will translate to print. In general, go for Advanced High-Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS) panels and 99 percent Adobe RGB color coverage along with a UHD for the sharpest level of detail. We typically do not go for Full HD (1,920-by-1,080) monitors., which have a limited color palette and are not true in passing color from screen to print.
The best monitors for graphic design are also designed with ergonomics in mind. Additional features such as swivels tilts, and side HDMI ports, and a DisplayPort 1.2 input. allow users to sit comfortably and plug in external devices with an easy reach. Focus on screen size as well, with your typical desktop easily accommodating two monitors between 27 and 32 inches.
