Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
EDITORS’ NOTE
February 16, 2026: With this update, we added the Asus ProArt Display 6K PA32QCV as our pick for Best 6K Monitor for Windows/Mac Photo Editing, a new category. We also removed the ViewSonic ColorPro VP2776 (Best Overall 1440p Monitor for Photo Editing) and the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C Hub Monitor U2723QE (Best Docking Station Monitor for Photo Editing), which have been discontinued. Since our last update, we tested and evaluated 13 new monitors for possible inclusion in this roundup and our other monitor roundups. We currently have eight monitors in PC Labs for review, from manufacturers including Samsung, Asus, and HP.
- Magnificent image quality
- High contrast, thanks to IPS Black panel tech
- Higher-than-4K resolution and pixel density
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Hub of six USB downstream ports
- Low-impact audio from built-in speakers
- Pricey
The Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor represents a significant investment, but it will be money well spent for the creative types who spring for it. Between high resolution and pixel density in a large-screen ultrawide monitor, the high contrast afforded by IPS Black, and impressive image quality in our ad-hoc testing, it gets high marks for a monitor for videographers and other creative pros. Add to that a hub with two Thunderbolt 4 connectors and no less than six downstream USB ports, plus Ethernet, HDMI, and DisplayPort, and it has all connectivity bases covered. It is an exceptional candidate for professionals seeking a killer large-screen ultrawide display.
Creative pros: The Dell U4025QW is a great choice for video editors, photographers, and other creative professionals who aren’t limited by a small budget. It sports a high ultrawide resolution (at 5,120 by 2,160 pixels), it has excellent contrast and pixel density, and it earned top marks in our testing. Plus, it provides the immersive experience of a curved monitor.
Managers and art directors: The U4025QW is a top curved monitor for creative professionals and managers who need access to a variety of ports. It has one of the most thorough assortments of ports of any monitor we have reviewed, living up to the “Hub” part of its name, and provides all the connectivity for a laptop that you would expect from a standalone docking station. It’s a solid match for the demanding workloads of art directors and graphic-arts professionals alike.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
39.7 inches
Native Resolution
5120 by 2160
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Screen Technology
IPS Black
Rated Screen Luminance
300 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
2000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Adaptive Sync
Yes
Video Inputs
DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 (2), HDMI
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
6
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 600
Dimensions (HWD)
18 by 37.3 by 9.8 inches
Weight
30.4 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Learn More
Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U4025QW) Review
- 32-inch 4K UHD screen
- QD-OLED technology offers deep blacks and bright colors
- Sky-high contrast ratio and good color coverage
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology with 240Hz maximum
- Stand supports pivot, height, and tilt adjustment
- Supports three HDR flavors, with peak HDR brightness nearing 1,000 nits
- Out-of-the-box color accuracy (dE) may require slight tuning
- Underwhelming built-in speakers
- No DisplayPort input
With an exquisite 32-inch QD-OLED UHD screen and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM monitor should dazzle both Windows- and Mac-based content creators. Its screen showed great contrast, bright colors, and good HDR performance in our testing. An unusually high refresh rate for a professional display should make it a good fit for game designers and give artists something to do in their leisure time.
Windows and Mac content creators: A beast of a creator-centric monitor, the PA32UCDM should appeal to photographers, videographers, and other pros who use either Windows PCs or Macs. It features a 32-inch UHD QD-OLED display, which provides vivid colors, superb contrast, and exceptional HDR rendering.
Game designers: The PA32UCDM’s 4K QD-OLED screen, HDR support, and 240Hz refresh rate should put this creator monitor in good stead with game designers. It’s also a good choice for content creators who enjoy getting in a little gaming in their free time.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
31.5 inches
Native Resolution
3840 by 2160
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
QD-OLED
Rated Screen Luminance
250 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1,500,000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
240 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB-C, Thunderbolt 4 (2)
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
2
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 400
Dimensions (HWD)
23.7 by 28.2 by 9 inches
Weight
19.8 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Learn More
Asus ProArt Display OLED PA32UCDM Review
- Full sRGB color coverage
- Supports height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustment
- Good contrast ratio for an IPS monitor
- Generous port selection
- 100Hz refresh rate
- Awkward OSD control buttons instead of mini-joystick controller
- Modest resolution and brightness
The BenQ GW2486TC provides an excellent feature set for its price, and is an affordable option for general use or a home office. It offers a small 24-inch screen and a modest 1080p resolution, but its generous input-port selection packs a punch: It includes DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB-C (which can run DisplayPort over USB-C and provide 65W of power delivery). This BenQ monitor also has a DisplayPort-out that supports the daisy-chaining of multiple monitors, as well as two USB-A downstream ports.
Its stand has all the ergonomic features we would expect from monitors priced considerably higher, including height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustment. Last, the screen features a 100Hz peak refresh rate, and it provides full sRGB color coverage and an above-par contrast ratio for a standard IPS panel.
College students: The BenQ GW2486TC can easily fit in the corner of a dorm-room desk, yet it packs in more value than you might expect, given its compact size and student-friendly price. This ergonomically friendly display features a modest 24-inch 1080p screen, full sRGB color coverage, and high contrast for an IPS panel. Ports include HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-A, and USB-C, a surprising range for a $200 monitor. It has built-in speakers, and its 100Hz refresh rate might tempt you to get in some light gaming between assignments.
Home-office workers: Consider the BenQ GW2486TC if you’re on a budget and need a reliable home-office monitor. Despite its small screen and basic resolution, it packs a feature set we would expect to find in a monitor selling for considerably more. From ergonomics to port selection, and from built-in speakers to a 100Hz refresh rate, it brings more to the table than many other low-priced monitors we have reviewed.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
23.8 inches
Native Resolution
1920 by 1080
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
IPS
Rated Screen Luminance
250 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1300:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
100 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
HDMI, USB-C, DisplayPort (2)
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
2
VESA DisplayHDR Level
NA
Dimensions (HWD)
19.7 by 21.3 by 7.3 inches
Weight
13.7 lb
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Learn More
BenQ GW2486TC Review
- Exceptional color accuracy.
- DisplayHDR 1600 looks incredible.
- High contrast ratio.
- Sturdy build.
- Beautiful design.
- Functionality with Windows in Boot Camp, or with specialized broadcast-workflow hardware.
- Super-expensive stand.
- No input alternatives to USB-C.
- Matte-panel version costs $1,000 more.
Apple’s Pro Display XDR provides exceptional color accuracy and build quality at a price that’s competitive compared with reference-grade pro monitors, though beyond the budget of typical users. (The stand alone costs an extra grand!) It has no buttons, and ports are limited to USB-C and Thunderbolt. Don’t even bother to connect a non-Mac computer to it.
So why buy it? It covers nearly the full DCI-P3 color space, designed for digital video. In HDR testing, we recorded a peak burst brightness of 1,561 nits, while its peak SDR brightness was a “mere” 499 nits. Color accuracy is amazing; its Delta E result in each of the three color modes we test—sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3—was less than 1.0. Its LED-backlit screen makes use of a technology called full-array local dimming (FALD), which allows the monitor to dim individual screen areas as needed instead of doing it globally.
Mac content creation pros, especially in video: With its 6K resolution and standout color accuracy, the Pro Display XDR has a very specific target market: professional Mac-based content creators. In fact, it only officially works with Apple devices. Its full DCI-P3 color coverage makes it best for video producers. If you’re a Mac creator and don’t have the small fortune needed for the XDR, look to the Apple Studio Display, which is still pricey but a pittance compared with the XDR, or the Asus ProArt Display 6K PA32QCV, which shares some of the XDR’s attributes at a much lower cost.
Big spenders: There are some very capable monitors designed for Mac content creators, but none has the cachet of genuine Apple displays, especially the Pro Display XDR, which dominates the creator monitor market. Sure, you have to shell out the big bucks to get one: $6,000 for the version with nano-texture glass, and an additional $1,000 just for the stand. However, it’s a great conversation piece and a way to impress friends and colleagues.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
32 inches
Native Resolution
6016 by 3384
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
IPS
Rated Screen Luminance
1600 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1,000,000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
USB-C
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
4
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 1600
Dimensions (HWD)
28.3 by 25.6 by 9.3 inches
Weight
16.49 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year
Learn More
Apple Pro Display XDR Review
- 6K resolution
- Sharp, crisp, and bright image
- Includes two Mac-friendly color presets
- Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports support daisy chaining a second monitor
- High contrast ratio for an IPS monitor
- Full range of ergonomic motion, including pivot control
- Out-of-the-box color accuracy not as good as expected
- Refresh rate limited to 60Hz
The Asus ProArt Display 6K PA32QCV’s screen size, resolution, and pixel density are a match for the Apple Pro Display XDR. While it doesn’t have quite the color accuracy, contrast ratio, or HDR brightness of that professional reference-grade monitor, the PA32QCV comes in at a much lower price. Also, it can easily be used with Windows machines as well as Macs, which isn’t the case with the XDR.
Mac content creators: The PA32QCV is a great alternative for Mac-based designers who drool at the thought of the Pro Display XDR—with which it shares several key specs—but blanch at the exorbitant “Apple tax” they’d have to pay to land that company’s flagship 6K monitor. With the Asus PA32QCV, they get a highly capable creator-centric 6K panel in its own right, with some Mac-friendly features and essentially full DCI-P3 and sRGB color coverage.
Windows creators: The Asus PA32QCV gives graphic artists working on Windows computers a capable 6K creator monitor—the Windows-unfriendly Apple Pro Display XDR is not a good option—and a relatively affordable one. This 32-inch IPS display provides vivid colors, superb contrast, and a bright image for Windows and Mac users alike. It has dual Thunderbolt 4 ports—allowing you to daisy-chain a second monitor—with the upstream Thunderbolt port providing up to 96 watts of power delivery, plus an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, and a hub consisting of one USB-C and two USB-A downstream ports.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
31.5 inches
Native Resolution
6016 by 3384
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
IPS
Rated Screen Luminance
400 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
3000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, HDMI
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
3
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 600
Dimensions (HWD)
24.3 by 28.1 by 9.5 inches
Weight
20.5 lb
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Learn More
Asus ProArt Display 6K PA32QCV Review
- OLED panel in a portable monitor
- Wide color coverage, befitting its 10-bit color depth
- Excellent contrast and striking photo and video quality
- Flexible double-hinged stand
- Easy-to-navigate OSD
- Mediocre color accuracy for a pro monitor
ViewSonic’s ColorPro VP16-OLED’s image quality is among the best we’ve seen from a portable monitor, with both vivid rendering of colors and exceptional ability to preserve detail in dark areas. It’s remarkably bright for a portable monitor, with wide color coverage befitting a panel with 10-bit color depth and the excellent contrast you expect from an OLED screen.
Traveling photographers, videographers, and graphic artists: The lightweight ViewSonic VP16-OLED portable monitor packs a sweet 15.6-inch OLED screen with high brightness, phenomenal contrast, and effectively full coverage of the sRGB, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB color spaces. While its resolution is only 1,920 by 1,080 pixels (aka Full HD, FHD, or 1080p), on a screen of its dimensions that still translates to a 141 pixel-per-inch (ppi) pixel density, which is more than sufficient for typical photo or video editing.
Entertainment junkies: Between its brilliant, high-contrast OLED screen and near-complete coverage of the three color spaces in which we test, the VP16-OLED magnificently renders movies, as well as photos and games. Its 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio is perfect for showing movies. And as a mature product, the VP16-OLED can be had for a price comparable to or even lower than some premium non-OLED portable monitors.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
15.6 inches
Native Resolution
1920 by 1080
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
OLED
Rated Screen Luminance
400 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
100000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
N/A
Video Inputs
micro HDMI, USB-C
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
1
VESA DisplayHDR Level
NA
Dimensions (HWD)
12.4 by 14.1 by 0.8 inches
Weight
2.2 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Learn More
ViewSonic ColorPro VP16-OLED Portable Monitor Review
- 32-inch 4K UHD screen
- IPS Black tech means high contrast
- Thunderbolt ports let you daisy-chain a second monitor
- Supports Mac-friendly color spaces like Display P3 and M-book
- Stand offers height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustments
- Mediocre Adobe RGB coverage
- Uniformity setting significantly reduces brightness and contrast
Designed for creative professionals, the BenQ PD3225U monitor has a 31.5-inch,10-bit IPS panel with 4K UHD resolution (3,840 by 2,160 pixels). It provides a wealth of ports, including a pair of Thunderbolt connectors that enables daisy-chaining monitors. The PD3225U showed overall excellence in our testing; its color accuracy out of the box easily bests BenQ’s rating, and it covers nearly the full sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces.
Mac-based content creators: With Thunderbolt connectivity and support for color spaces like Display P3 and M Book, the PD3225U is highly Mac-friendly, giving Apple’s own Studio Display a run for its money while easily undercutting that 5K creator panel in price. The BenQ packs a bright IPS Black screen with excellent color accuracy as well as sRGB and DCI-P3 coverage.
Windows users: The BenQ PD3225U also works well with Windows PCs. This 4K monitor’s resolution, pixel density, brightness, color accuracy, and color coverage all put it in good standing as a creator monitor for both photo and video work, although if you work in Adobe RGB, you will want to look elsewhere.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
31.5 inches
Native Resolution
3840 by 2160
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
IPS Black
Rated Screen Luminance
400 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
2000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
NA
Video Inputs
HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 (2)
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
4
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 400
Dimensions (HWD)
18.8 by 24.7 by 10.8 inches
Weight
18.1 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
3 years
Learn More
BenQ PD3225U DesignVue Designer Monitor Review
- Fantastic resolution and color
- Highly accurate stylus and screen interaction
- Useful customizable controls on both display and stylus
- Stylus ships with custom grips, replacement nibs
- Well-designed app
- Expensive, even without the stand
- Huge and heavy
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 is a best-in-class interactive display for digital artists and editors—the price may be sky-high, but it justifies the spend for pros tied to their pens. For those who can fit the Cintiq Pro 27 into their budget, it’s an excellent centerpiece for any digital workstation for video, photography, and/or graphics.
Graphic artists, art directors, photo and video editors: This top-of-the-line pen display serves as a high-resolution, exceptionally accurate editing and creative tool for working with photos, video, and digital art at a great degree of precision. Between its bright jumbo screen (for an interactive pen monitor), near-complete sRGB, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB coverage and the inclusion of a Wacom Pro Pen 3 as well as a slew of customizable express keys, the Cintiq Pro 27 is ready to take on a wide range of projects. It does cost a lot, and that’s even before factoring in the $495 Pro 27 Stand—which you’ll want to spring for unless you plan to wall- or arm-mount it—but you get a magnificent pen display for the price.
Wealthy dabblers: Even if you’re not a professional artist, if you can afford its admittedly hefty price, the Cintiq Pro 27 is a magnificent piece of kit that will let you create, edit, and doodle to your heart’s delight. It’s a great tool for honing your skills, and it makes for a nice conversation piece.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
26.9 inches
Native Resolution
3840 by 2160
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
IPS
Rated Screen Luminance
400 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1,000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Adaptive Sync
N/A
Video Inputs
HDMI, mini DisplayPort, USB-C, USB
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
2
VESA DisplayHDR Level
N/A
Dimensions (HWD)
14.9 by 25.1 by 1.2 inches
Weight
15.9 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
2 years
Learn More
Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 Review
- 27-inch touch screen
- 4K UHD resolution
- Full sRGB and Adobe RGB color coverage
- Contrast ratio considerably better than its rating
- 8-megapixel webcam
- On the pricey side for a display of its capabilities
- Poorly responsive control buttons
- Awkward, icon-based OSD menu system
The Clarity Pro Touch is a rare 27-inch 4K UHD monitor with 10-point gesture-based touch support, making it an excellent (albeit pricey) way to add a touch screen to your desktop setup. Our testing showed the panel to be bright, with excellent contrast, full Adobe RGB and sRGB color coverage, and excellent color accuracy. Other notable features include an 8MP webcam, a solid stand with good ergonomics, and a USB-C port that provides up to 65 watts of power delivery.
Managers and art directors: The Alogic Clarity Pro Touch combines a mixture of creator and productivity features that make it a good choice for art directors as well as managers involved in print or online graphic arts production. In addition to packing a bright 27-inch high-contrast 4K screen with complete sRGB and Adobe RGB color coverage and excellent color accuracy, it supports 10-point gesture-based multi-touch, has a powerful webcam, a decent selection of ports, and an ergonomically friendly stand.
Web artists and producers: The Clarity Pro Touch is a feature-rich display for those involved in creating or producing art intended for the web, with a bright, color-accurate screen providing full sRGB coverage, gesture-based touch functionality, and a hi-res webcam.
Panel Size (Corner-to-Corner)
27 inches
Native Resolution
3840 by 2160
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Screen Technology
IPS
Rated Screen Luminance
400 nits
Rated Contrast Ratio
1000:1
Pixel Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Adaptive Sync
AMD FreeSync
Video Inputs
USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI (2)
USB Ports (Excluding Upstream)
3
VESA DisplayHDR Level
DisplayHDR 400
Dimensions (HWD)
22.2 by 24.6 by 8.7 inches
Weight
16.8 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
2 years
Learn More
Alogic Clarity Pro Touch Review
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The Best Monitors for Photo Editing in 2026
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Buying Guide: The Best Monitors for Photo Editing in 2026
How to choose the right display model for photo editing? “Wide-gamut” monitors, broadly speaking, are the best fit for serious photo editors. These models let you select from a palette of more than a billion colors, and are the cat’s meow when it comes to photography, although it is important that they adequately cover the particular color space(s) that you will be using. If you’re working with a 14-bit or 16-bit RAW file, you’ll want a display that shows the subtleties in each image you capture.
Nowadays, a digital connection such as DisplayPort, USB-C (which typically carries a DisplayPort signal), or Thunderbolt is standard, but you will want to match your panel to the output of your PC or Mac. For most uses, you can look for a display with an in-plane switching (IPS) panel and at least an 8-bit lookup table (LUT), which will be able to display images from a palette of 16.7 million colors. (More about IPS and screen types in the next section.) Moving to a top-end panel with a 10-bit LUT generally expands that number to more than a billion. To achieve that number, though, you’ll need a high-end display designed for photographers, but be prepared to pay a premium.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Screen Technology: IPS Rules, But OLED Is Coming On Strong
Most LCD panels geared toward photographers and graphic artists use IPS technology, though we are beginning to see more organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, which we discuss below. IPS has several advantages over other commonly used LCD hardware technologies, such as twisted nematic (TN) and vertical alignment (VA). It offers wide viewing angles (up to 178 degrees in both vertical and horizontal directions); these are the maximum angular distances from looking directly at a screen to looking from the side (or above) without a change in brightness or color shift. IPS displays tend to have better viewing angles than VA panels, and much better ones than TN panels.
Also, IPS panels are known for having the most accurate colors of the three. IPS panels in monitors designed for creative professionals tend to have higher color depth (up to 10 bits; these are the panels that can choose from a palette of more than a billion colors) than most TN or VA displays, and support a wider color gamut, often covering all—or nearly all—of the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces. VA panels may cover the sRGB space, but not much more, and TN displays have even more limited color coverage.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
While IPS panels rule the roost for photo editing, OLED monitors—which tend to be expensive but excel at color display and offer excellent contrast—are making inroads in the market and on our list of recommended models.
OLED images look great—they achieve their superior contrast thanks to individual pixels that can turn wholly off, making the panels capable of true black and a theoretically infinite contrast ratio. What’s more, OLED colors appear vivid and well saturated; a common complaint is that they look too good on the photo editor’s screen, compared with what the average user on a merely mortal monitor is likely to see!
One issue with OLED screens is that they can suffer burn-in from prolonged use if a fixed screen is displayed or if a set of immobile menus or toolbars is left on them continuously. You don’t want to keep them on for days and weeks on end with static images or screen elements showing, unless the panel features anti-burn-in technology (which might, for example, shift pixels minimally to prevent burn-in). These features are now all but standard.
How to Assess Color Spaces and Color Coverage
A color space is a defined range of colors. An important factor in evaluating a professional monitor for photo editing is determining which specific color spaces you will be working in and what percentage of colors in each color space the monitor can display. Common color spaces cited in display manufacturers’ specs include sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, NTSC, and Rec.709. Photographers will be most interested in sRGB and Adobe RGB, as they were developed with photos and still images in mind.
First, though, a bit about the other, more cinema-oriented color spaces. Professional monitors are often calibrated for one or more of these spaces in addition to sRGB and (in some cases) Adobe RGB, and creative artists may work with video as well as photos. DCI-P3—defined by the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), a consortium of major motion-picture producers—is geared toward digital video projection. NTSC, developed by the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC), covers a gamut similar to Adobe RGB. And Rec.709, a standard for HDTV, is widely used in video projects. Its color space is identical to sRGB; the difference lies in their tone response curves (aka gamma), which account for differences in ambient light. (TVs tend to be used in darker settings, while computer monitors are often set up and used in brighter rooms.)
Most professional monitors have dedicated picture modes—accessible through the panel’s on-screen display (OSD)—for sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3, and we test their color coverage in all three modes. If you are purely a photographer or a photo editor, you can ignore the DCI-P3 results, but they will come into play if you work with video.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Whether you primarily use sRGB or Adobe RGB depends on how you show your photos to the world. If all your images are to be posted online, a monitor that displays the full sRGB color gamut is fine. sRGB is the standard color space for the web and many other applications. Even though Adobe RGB has a wider range of possible colors—sRGB encompasses only about 70% of the Adobe RGB gamut—websites cannot display the additional colors. What’s more, if you do upload art saved in Adobe RGB to the web, it will be automatically converted to sRGB, and the colors will often look duller than if you had shot it or saved it in sRGB in the first place.
(Credit: Portrait Displays)
That said, Adobe RGB has a considerably wider color gamut than sRGB, and savvy photographers may be able to coax a more vivid range of colors when printing Adobe RGB images, whether they’re printing their own or working with a commercial service. They will want a monitor that displays colors to their full advantage. Many monitors cover both bases, touting near-100% coverage for both sRGB and Adobe RGB; if you need to switch color spaces, you simply change the mode via the OSD.
Understanding Color Accuracy
A monitor’s color accuracy—how close a displayed color looks to the way it is intended—is determined by a measurement known as Delta E (dE, for short). It represents the difference between the hue of a displayed color and the input that the monitor received. The dE figure that appears in monitor specs—reflecting dE2000, the current standard—is the average of many individual color readings across the spectrum. The lower the value, the more accurate the color. You don’t necessarily need the best monitor for color accuracy across the board, but you want one that excels in the specific color spaces that make sense for your photo work.
Most professional monitors come pre-calibrated with a dE of less than two for sRGB, and often for Adobe RGB as well. Depending on the colors involved, a dE of less than 2 would be hard for an untrained observer to discern, while a dE of less than one would be imperceptible to most anyone without specialized measuring equipment.
When evaluating professional monitors, we use the ColorChecker function in Portrait Displays’ Calman 5 color-calibration program to measure dE values for a given color space. Below is an example of the results.
(Credit: Portrait Displays)
The chromaticity chart on its right shows the position of the individual color measurements, while the bar chart at far left depicts the Delta E for each point. All of the bars are short, with no points more than two and many less than one. Below that chart are the figures for the average and maximum dE; the average dE of 0.88 for this monitor is excellent, i.e., it passed with flying colors (so to speak).
A few professional displays have built-in calibration tools, and some will ship with an external colorimeter that you drape over the monitor to calibrate it. The latter, typically, shows a series of color patches and uses software to create an ICC profile to properly adjust colors.
When that hardware is combined with a separate ICC profile for your printer and paper type, you can use soft proofing tools, like those found in Adobe Lightroom, on your display to see how your prints will look on paper. If your LCD doesn’t ship with a calibration tool, consider getting a Datacolor Spyder or an X-Rite i1 calibrator. You’ll want to calibrate your monitor at least once every 30 days—be sure to check out our guide to monitor calibration.
What Kind of Panel Finish Should I Look for in a Photo Editing Monitor?
Matte displays have an anti-glare coating. They can be calibrated more accurately, and they tend to show a truer image versus the more popular high-gloss displays, which give colors an oversaturated look. Plus, you won’t have to deal with as many reflections. Fortunately, you can find many monitors with anti-glare screens to choose from.
(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)
Depending on your work environment and just how critical your work is, you also might consider a display with a hood. A hood will block ambient light that comes at your display from the sides and top, so you won’t have to worry about light, say, coming in from a window affecting how your display looks at different points in the day.
You can find third-party generic hoods for notebooks and for the iMac, but for the best fit, you’re better off opting for a display that has a dedicated hood from the manufacturer included, or available as an accessory. Fortunately, many professional monitors do.
Ergonomic Features to Look For
Most professional monitors have stands that support some combination of the standard ergonomic comfort features: height, tilt, swivel, and pivot control.
(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)
Pivot control lets you rotate a monitor 90 degrees at its stand joint, from landscape to portrait mode, and back. It’s handy if you tend to work with photos in this kind of vertical orientation.
Pivot control also offers a surprise fringe benefit: When you swing the monitor into portrait orientation, it makes it easy to access the ports. On many displays of this kind, the ports are located at the back and are downward-facing, making them hard to reach, particularly since some photo-centric monitors are large and heavy.
Do You Need a 4K Monitor for Photo Editing? Size and Resolution
Go with as big a display as your workspace and budget can afford, and one with an appropriately dense resolution. Remember that a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel monitor is only 2 megapixels—if you’re shooting with a 20-megapixel SLR, that’s nothing. Thankfully, this will come naturally when looking for one that hits the other features. Most 27-inch models suited for graphical work feature a native resolution of at least 2,560 by 1,440, but 4K (3,840 by 2,160) models are now widely available.
Also, keep in mind that pixel density—how closely the pixels are spaced, as measured in pixels per inch (ppi)—is an important factor in determining how sharp a monitor’s displayed image will look. For a given resolution, the larger the screen size, the lower the pixel density. We recommend that a monitor used for photo editing have a pixel density of at least 100ppi. As an extreme example, with a 32-inch screen and “6K” (6,016-by-3,384-pixel) native resolution, the Apple Pro Display XDR has a phenomenal pixel density of 216ppi. Of course, monitors with such ultra-high resolutions have rarified prices, as well.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Depending on your workflow and desk space, you may want to consider a secondary display, too, regardless of what you choose as your primary LCD. iMac users, for example, can load most of Lightroom’s tools on the 24-inch iMac’s glossy display to browse catalogs and make adjustments, while viewing a full-screen version of the image they’re working on on the second monitor, or vice versa. But we wouldn’t go smaller than 24 inches in that scenario.
Ready to Buy the Right Monitor for Photo Editing?
In addition to the pros and cons of our top picks, this guide includes a detailed spec breakdown for each to help you make your decision even easier. Those are the high points—obviously, you’ll want to read some reviews in detail before investing in a display for your personal photography work or business. Our pick list is a perfect place to start.
