Monitor shopping can be a minefield of insane prices and loads of tech lingo. And designers can’t settle for just any monitor, as the integrity of their work depends on the quality of the image displayed on their screen.
To help you get the optimal monitor for designing, we’ve explained how to choose the best screen based on genuine advice from professional designers that have been where you are and know what they’re talking about.
Keep these five tips from real designers in mind, so you choose the best monitor for your design needs.
Top 5 Tips by Real Designers
1. Color Accuracy
Color accuracy is one of the most important factors in monitors for graphic designers. Grayscale and color accuracy on your monitor ensures the printout of your design will be as close to the computer’s image as possible. Nothing is worse than something looking blue on your monitor and then printing out purple.
The blue light emitted by the screen’s pixels can also distort color and harm your eyes, so look for monitors with blue light filters that eliminate this variant. Look for monitors with an Advanced High-performance In-Plane Switching panel (AH-IPS panel). Ensure the monitor covers more than 99 percent of the Adobe RGB color area, or it won’t be a good screen for design.
2. Screen Size
Screen size is a personal preference for designers, and some don’t even factor it into their purchase. But if you work with high-resolution images and detailed designs, you may want a larger screen so you can view things in a bigger space. Designers that work on many projects at once may also want a larger desktop so you can view multiple projects at once.
3. Panels
Panels are what make your monitor good or bad. There are a few different types of panels that can work for designers.
- Twisted Nematic or TN panels
- Vertical Alignment or VA panels
- In-Plane Switching or IPS monitors
- Super IPS panels
We recommend getting IPS monitors, as these are affordable but offer the best resolution and imaging for designers. All of these options are acceptable and vary in price, so it’s important to know your budget and what quality you want.
4. Resolution
High-resolution monitors cost much more than Full HD monitors but are 100% worth it for graphic designers. The highest resolution available is 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, so these monitors have ultra high resolution and will cost the most. Try to get as close as possible to this number, the higher the number of pixels, the better the resolution will be. Most designers won’t go below 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, as this can put the quality of their work in jeopardy.
5. Adjustability
Graphic designers often spend hours on one project, sitting in front of their monitor all day long. These designers should make sure they get a monitor with decent adjustability so they can move the monitor around to make it more ergonomic and comfortable to work. A fixed monitor is one of the worst things you can get, as this will put a strain on your body, especially your neck.
Marketing Traps to Avoid
When shopping for designer computers, there can be lots of tech lingo and fancy features that won’t improve your productivity or quality of work but will cost you more and possibly lead you to the wrong monitor. Don’t be fooled by these shiny features when shopping, as they aren’t important to your work as a designer.
Fancy Features
If you’re a graphic designer, do you need built-in speakers? Do you need a TV Tuner? The answer is probably not. So, don’t let features like these or a myriad of ports distract you from what’s important: the internal monitor quality.
Stylish Design
We all want a cool-looking computer that makes us feel professional and in the know, but you often pay for the sleek exterior, not the interior. The internal quality is what matters for graphic designers looking for a monitor. Don’t focus on what the computer looks like, but focus on how it functions.
Quick Response Time
Response time refers to the pace at which the monitor communicates and executes the command you requested, whether that’s changing color in Photoshop or drawing a line in Abstract. No one wants a monitor with a significant lag, but graphic designers don’t need a rapid response time the way gamers do.
Best Monitors for Designers
To help you get started, these are five of the most beloved monitors by serious, professional graphic designers. The specs on all of these models are what we discussed and are a wonderful option if you don’t want to do more shopping.
Conclusion
Some last advice from real designers, don’t be afraid to spend a little extra to get the quality you want. They’ve been the struggling artist too, but when it comes to a graphic designers’ monitor, this is where your success stems from.
Settling for a cheap monitor can put the quality of your work in danger, possibly losing you clients and projects. A new, high-end monitor should last you a long time, so think of it as an investment in your career and talent.
FAQs
How much should I spend?
The size and specs on the monitor you want play a huge role in the price you will pay. Bigger screens over 30 inches and excellent specs can cost up to $5,000.
The cheapest model a graphic designer should get will cost around $500 unless you get a great deal. So expect to spend around $1,000 for a medium-sized, high-quality design monitor.
How long do design monitors last?
On average, high-resolution monitors run for 30,000 to 60,000 hours. SO your pricey design monitor should last ten to twenty years, providing you with a decade or two of seamless designing.
Are Macs the best for designers?
While Macs have a tight hold on the design industry, theta re not necessarily better at design tasks. However, designers often opt for them because they are widely used across the industry, making sending files and transferring images smoother and easier to predict. The controls on a Mac are also efficient, with many shortcuts that are useful in design software.
