The best monitors for graphic artists and graphic designers will feature a large, high-quality display, enabling you to see your artwork in detail with very accurate colours. So along with the best laptops for graphic design, they're an essential investment for your practice.
Here at Creative Bloq, we have a ton of experience reviewing monitors, and we don't just measure their colour accuracy scientifically, we also use them in real-world workflows. So you can be sure that all the monitors we've selected here are great to use in practice. Our number one pick is the BenQ PD3225U and you'll find plenty of other strong options to choose from below.
Beren Neale
Beren has well over a decade of experience writing about creative tech, having previously worked for the digital art magazine ImagineFX, the fine art magazine Paint & Draw and Canon Pro Europe. As Creative Bloq's Ecom Editor, he's racked up hundreds of hours testing and reviewing monitors for a variety of creative purposes. He also oversees the curation of our buying guides, taking feedback on the products we've tested from contributing creatives.
The best monitor for graphic artists overall is this 32-inch IPS, factory-calibrated screen that allows you to see the colours in your designs as accurately as possible. Read more below
While this monitor isn't the cheapest on the market (that would be a false economy) it is relatively affordable, while still being designed specifically for pros. Read more below
This premium monitor for graphic artists provides top-tier performance, excellent contrast and colour coverage, solid connectivity, and a calibration tool. Read more below
Connections: 2x HDMI v2.0, 1x DisplayPort v1.4, 1x Thunderbolt 3 in, 1x Thunderbolt 3 out, 3x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x USB-C, 1x USB 3.2 Type-B
Brightness (max): 400 nits
Reasons to buy
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Superb colour accuracy
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Mac-friendly with Thunderbolt 3 and M-Book mode
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Hotkey Puck G2
Reasons to avoid
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Slightly expensive for the specs
30-second review: This is our top pick overall for graphic artists, especially those working on colour-sensitive projects. With a 32-inch 4K display, superb connectivity, and Mac-friendly features, it’s a premium option that balances quality and convenience. The BenQ PD3225U is designed with creative professionals in mind, delivering impressive colour accuracy, versatile connectivity, and thoughtful extras like the Hotkey Puck G2.
Pricing: At around £1,099 / $1,099, the BenQ PD3225U sits in the mid-to-premium range for professional monitors. So while it isn't cheap, it does offer good value for graphic artists, particularly those who need Thunderbolt 3 support and factory-calibrated colour accuracy.
Design and build: The PD3225U sports a sleek and professional design, with ultra-slim bezels and a sturdy stand that allows for height, tilt, and pivot adjustments. The screen rotates 90 degrees into portrait mode, though it only turns clockwise, which may be inconvenient depending on your setup. The Hotkey Puck G2 offers quick access to display settings, colour modes, and brightness adjustments. A built-in KVM switch allows seamless switching between two computers using a single keyboard and mouse.
Display: Our reviewer found that 4K resolution on a 32-inch display is ideal for creative work, offering sharp details and a spacious workspace. The PD3225U comes factory-calibrated and supports 100% sRGB, 99% Rec.709, and 98% DCI-P3, ensuring excellent colour accuracy. Adobe RGB coverage stands at 85%, which is solid but not the highest available. The IPS Black panel enhances contrast, producing deeper blacks and more vibrant colours compared to standard IPS screens.
Brightness reaches a peak of 400 nits in HDR mode, which is better than its predecessor but still not the brightest on the market. While sufficient for most environments, those working in extremely bright settings may prefer a display with higher brightness levels.
"This is a screen for those whose professional life revolves around the image they see on the screen being as close as possible to the image produced elsewhere."
30-second review: If you're on a budget but serious about your creative work you're going to need a display that doesn’t let you down. That’s where the BenQ DesignVue PD2706US comes in. While it's not the cheapest on the market (that would be a false economy) it is relatively affordable, while still being a monitor designed specifically for visual professionals. That shows in everything from the rich colour support to the thoughtful ergonomics. The C-clamp arm is the cherry on top, turning any desk into a sleek, pro-level setup.
Pricing: The BenQ DesignVue PD2706UA is listed on BenQ's site for $549 / £549. That isn’t cheap as such, but it is more affordable than premium monitors on this list, and it does represent exceptional value when you compare it to other 4K displays with this level of colour fidelity and flexibility.
Design and build: The monitor itself is sleek and unobtrusive, with ultra-thin bezels on three sides. The build is solid, with thoughtful extras like a cable management system and a joystick-style control puck that makes navigating settings genuinely enjoyable. One thing to note: it’s not a featherweight. The whole setup weighs about 22lbs, so your desk needs to be sturdy. Also, there’s no auto-switching between inputs, but changing sources manually is easy enough via the controls.
Display: This is where the PD2706US really earns its keep. You get full 4K UHD resolution on a 27-inch IPS panel, with factory calibration for 100% sRGB and Rec.709, plus 95% DCI-P3 coverage. The colours are vibrant, the detail is pin-sharp, and it’s all backed by VESA HDR400 support—great for photo editing and video work. Mac users will be especially happy: the monitor syncs up without needing extra calibration, and there’s a colour mode to match macOS’s own P3 profile. Other modes include Darkroom, Animation, CAD/CAM and DualView, which lets you preview two colour profiles side by side.
Connections: 3x HDMI (v2.0), 1x DisplayPort (v1.4), 1s USB-C (DP Alt mode, 65W power delivery), 4x USB-A
Brightness (max): 500 nits
Reasons to buy
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Accurate presets for all colour formats
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Class-leading colour and contrast
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Auto-calibration feature
Reasons to avoid
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Only a 60Hz refresh rate
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Costs the same as several of the others on this list combined
30-second review: If you're a professional graphic artist looking to upgrade your setup with a premium screen, this is one of the best we've ever tested. The Asus ProArt OLED PA32DC is 4K-plus 32-inch display that truly shines when it comes to brightness and contrast, colour coverage and accuracy, plus it has handy features for creatives.
Pricing: The only real problem with the ProArt OLED PA32DC as a monitor for graphic artists, and the reason it isn't at the top of our guide, is its high price. Listed by ASUS at $3,499 / £3,699, it's the second most expensive monitor we've included after the Apple Pro Display XDR. Considering how good the BenQ DesignVue PD3220U is at number one our our list, only those who really need the extra features and specs will want to consider spending significantly more for this beautiful display.
Design and build: This professional display is big and heavy, and it has fairly large bezels. Some might think that makes it look a little old-fashioned, but we were very happy with how sturdy it was, and we found it easy to adjust. The joystick-like controller requires a light touch but works well, and we found the generous array of ports on the back easy enough to access. The USB-C port supports power delivery of up to 65W, so you can use this as a USB hub if you have a port-deprived laptop. The monitor is available with a monitor hood to help reduce reflections and glare, and plenty of ports for peripherals, and it comes with a built-in colorimeter to allow regular calibration of the screen without needing a monitor calibrator.
Display: We were immediately impressed by the brightness and contrast of the OLED panel. It has three HDR standards, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, all flicker-free. This is the screen to go for if you want outstanding colour coverage for print as well as digital and video, hitting 99% of Adobe RGB. Our testing also vouched for the precise △E< 1 score for colour accuracy.
There are preset modes for a wide range of colour setups – sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, Rec. 2020, DICOM, Rec. 709, HDR_PQ DCI, HDR_PQ Rec2020, HDR_HLG, HDR_HLG DCI, Dolby Vision. It pretty much covers every colour setup a graphic artist or indeed a video editor, photographer or animator could need. Our reviewers only grumble was the fairly slow 60Hz refresh rate. You might expect higher on a monitor with such impressive specs elsewhere, but this isn't a screen designed for gaming.
"Do you need absolute top-spec colour accuracy with infinite contrast and built-in features that come up to your eyeballs? And do you have a sizeable trust fund to dip into? Or are you a midsize-to-large studio? Then the ASUS ProArt PA32DC makes sense."
30-second review: If you work across multiple programs or panels or you like to be able to compare your work side by side, the extra space provide by an ultrawide can be a huge benefit. And the HP Z34c G3 is relatively rare in that it's an ultrawide monitor with excellent specs for graphics work. The 34-inch screen provides a lot of space to play with, and its out-of-the-box calibration will let you get started with minimal fuss. Just note that some creatives feel that a curved screen can distort the appearance of their work. This is a subjective thing, but you might want to test the experience to check how it works for you.
Pricing: An ultrawide with these specs never comes cheap, but at $849 (£875) RRP, it's a little cheaper than some high-end ultrawides out there.
Design and build: The HP Z34c G3 looks sleek and modern, although the bezels are a little thick. The build is solid and sturdy, which is ideal for such a large panel. The location of the monitor's ports on the back panel are a little out of reach, but it's not a major issue.
Display: This monitor has good specs for creative work, boasting 99% sRGB and 99% BT.709 coverage, although its 81% 98% DCI-P3 coverage could be better. That said, its calibrated deltaE average of 0.31 is very good for graphic design work (anything below 0.5 is recommended). Its 365 cd/m2 at 100% brightness was also impressive.
"Having several different windows open concurrently does wonders for productivity. The Z34c handles this effortlessly and it features PIP functionality too, so if you have two devices plugged into two different ports on the monitor, you can run the independent signals side by side."
30-second review: The ASUS ProArt Display PA27JCV represents a significant disruption in the professional monitor market, offering Apple Studio Display-level specs such as 5K resolution and professional-grade colour accuracy at a more competitive price point.
Pricing: At around $800/£800, it's nearly half the price of the Apple Studio Display while offering comparable core features. The inclusion of a fully adjustable stand in the base price adds to its value proposition, making it an attractive option for professionals who prioritize performance over brand ecosystem.
Design and build: While not as aesthetically refined as Apple's offering, the ProArt brings practical design choices like front-facing OSD controls and a highly adjustable stand included in the base price. The stand offers 130mm height adjustment and 90° pivot capability, while the connectivity options are comprehensive and well-labeled.
Display: The 5K resolution (5120 x 2880) matches the Studio Display's pixel density at 218ppi, delivering exceptionally sharp image quality. Colour accuracy is impressive with 100% sRGB, 86% Adobe RGB, and 97% P3 coverage. The monitor includes HDR10 support, though the 380 nits brightness is lower than the Studio Display's 600 nits.
"This is excellent value for such a screen, undercutting the Apple Studio Display and coming in at considerably less than pro-grade monitors from multiple manufacturers, with 4K OLED screens proving much more expensive."
30-second review: Most portable monitors make decent productivity devices for working on the go or an an addition to a laptop screen, but they aren't so hot for creative work. This OLED display from Asus is a very welcome exception. The Asus ZenScreen MQ16AH impressed us with a quality OLED panel in a compact portable package. This isn't going to be your main screen for creative work, but it could be very useful for a mobile setup or to show work.
Pricing: At around $350 / £450, the ASUS ZenScreen MQ16AH represents quite good value for what it offers. There are a lot of cheaper portable monitors out there, but not with anything near the specs needed for graphic art and design.
Build and design: A portable 16-inch OLED display is a niche device. It only makes sense if you regularly work on the move, for example in cafes, hotel rooms, co-working spaces or clients' offices. For situations like that, this device comes into its own. It's slim and compact, making it easy to slip into a bag and connect to a laptop using just one cable. We found it to be a flexible device that's equally suitable for graphic art and design as writing or coding. With a dongle, it’s possible to use the USB-C port to connect game consoles, a Raspberry Pi, or even a streaming stick.
Display: ASUS claims 95.5% of sRGB, and we got 100% in our tests, as well as 96% of Adobe RGB and 98% of P3 and Delta E < 2 colour accuracy. We didn't manage to get the 400 nits of brightness that Asus claims using USB-C (the alternative is to use mini HDMI), but the OLED screen was still very bright for a portable monitor and able to overpower most reflections in the office at 80% brightness. The 60Hz refresh rate gives a smooth picture.
"Portable displays have long suffered from being dim and uninteresting. The ASUS ZenScreen MQ16AH fixes this problem with a very decent brightness level and a colour gamut that will appeal to creatives."
Connections: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 downstream, 1x USB 3.2 upstream
Brightness: 250 cd/m²
Reasons to buy
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OLED dazzles
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Good input options
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Work and games
Reasons to avoid
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Curves not for everyone
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Premium price
30-second review: Most ultrawide monitors are either too large and dominating or lack the display quality for serious work. This OLED display from Gigabyte is a welcome exception that hits the sweet spot. The Gigabyte MO34WQC impressed us with a quality OLED panel in a manageable 34-inch ultrawide package. This isn't going to replace a dual-monitor setup for everyone, but it could be very useful as a versatile all-rounder that excels at both gaming and creative work.
Pricing: At around £700 / $949, the Gigabyte MO34WQC represents decent value for what it offers. There are cheaper ultrawide options out there, but not with OLED technology and the specs needed for both gaming and creative work.
Build and design: This 34-inch ultrawide OLED is positioned as a gaming monitor but proved equally capable for productivity and creative tasks in our tests. The 21:9 aspect ratio provides more like one and a half standard screens than two, enabling document work with surrounding tools without losing height. The curved design can be divisive but offers advantages like reduced edge distortion and better immersion. It's solidly built with a chunky stand, though adjustment options are limited to 130mm height and 25 degrees of tilt.
Display: The OLED panel delivers excellent colour accuracy with 100% of sRGB, 96% of Adobe RGB, and 98% of P3 in standard preset. It hits 230 nits brightness in SDR with the potential for more in HDR content. The 175Hz refresh rate provides smooth performance for gaming, while the OLED technology offers the expected bright, saturated colours and good contrast. The screen is reflective despite anti-reflection coating, typical of OLED panels.
"Ultrawide monitors like this are marketed to gamers, but they’re also brilliant for productivity and creative work. A 34-inch 21:9 model hits a pretty sweet spot for size vs utility, as it won’t completely dominate your workspace like a 49-inch screen would."
30-second review: The Acer DS2 Series Pro is a unique monitor designed for a very specific type of creative: the 3D visualiser. Whether you’re developing immersive architectural walkthroughs or creating stereoscopic films, this 27-inch 4K display brings your work to life—literally—in three dimensions, without the need for clunky glasses or VR headsets. This is a very niche product, then, but a remarkable bit of kit nonetheless that offers impressive colour accuracy and dedicated software support.
Pricing: At $3,399.99 / £2,999.99, the DS2 Series Pro is firmly in the “serious investment” category. But if your workflow revolves around 3D modelling or immersive experiences, it could quickly pay for itself in time saved and quality previews. It’s hard to compare directly to standard monitors because it does something most of them don’t even attempt.
Build and design: Let’s get the awkward bit out of the way: this isn’t the prettiest monitor on the list. The DS2 Pro has a dated, boxy look and a bulky base that eats up desk space. There’s also a cluster of cameras perched atop the screen and speakers awkwardly tacked on underneath—function clearly took precedence over form. That said, its ergonomics are excellent. You get 150mm of height adjustment, a generous tilt range (-7 to 33 degrees), and 45-degree swivel in both directions. That’s more flexibility than most monitors in its class.
Display: This is where the DS2 Pro shines—literally. The 27-inch 4K display supports SpatialLabs’ stereoscopic 3D viewing, transforming both pre-made and real-time content into depth-rich visuals with the help of built-in eye-tracking cameras and a dedicated 3D lens. It integrates with Sketchfab, Unity, Unreal Engine, and even supports VR projects via Acer’s SteamVR Bridge. It’s not all about 3D, though. With a Color Gamut Delta E < 2, 400 nits peak brightness, and excellent contrast, it also holds its own as a high-end 2D display for creative tasks like video editing, digital painting, or photography. A refresh rate of 160Hz adds a smoothness that’s welcome for both animators and casual gamers.
"The monitor does an admirable job of converting 2D data into viewable 3D data thanks to its pair of eye-tracking cameras and dedicated 3D lens. You can do away with those 3D glasses."
The above displays are our picks for the best monitors for graphic artists, but there are plenty more options that might work for you. Below, we've included another choice that has been vetted by our experts and is worth considering if you want to look further afield.
As an affordable hybrid working or WFH monitor, the Acer Vero RL272 offers enough screen real estate, resolution and colour performance, including a 99% sRGB coverage, to make it an equal to many monitors at least twice its price.
The Apple Studio Display offers excellent image quality, a premium build, and great colour accuracy, making it ideal for fans of Apple kit in creative industries. However, the lack of HDR and its high price make it less appealing for non-Apple users or those on a budget.
How to choose the best monitor for graphic artists
There are several things to consider when you're choosing a monitor for graphic design or art. One of the most important is colour coverage and accuracy. There are no minimum requirements, but if you're producing work for digital uses, you'll want the highest sRGB colour space coverage, ideally 100%, and good coverage for other colour spaces such as Adobe RGB and DCI-P3.
Another important decision is what size monitor you want. A larger monitor means that you can see your work at a larger size, and it can also make it easier to see all of your work if you have lots of layers or to navigate multiple windows, which is handy if you're jumping between different programs or if you're checking an image against a reference. However, a larger screen takes up more space and is going to be less portable if you work on the move a lot.
We have chosen the best monitors for graphic artists based on our writers' experiences when carrying our our own hands-on tests and reviews. We have also taken on board recommendations and feedback from working artists and customer reviews. When reviewing monitors, we conduct benchmark tests to check brightness and contrast levels, colour coverage, accuracy and uniformity.
Why you can trust Creative Bloq
✅ We are solely focused on what creatives need ✅ Benchmark tests based on real workflows ✅ We consult actual designers and creative pros ✅ Over 50 monitors tested over 10,000 hours in the last two years
We also use the monitors over several days in real-life use cases, including for creating graphic design and digital art in programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop and CorelDRAW. As well as the quality of the display itself, we evaluate build, ergonomics, connectivity and price. We then seek to identify the best monitor for different needs and budgets.
Do you need a 4K monitor for graphic art and design?
The best monitor for graphic artists or designers doesn't have to be 4K since resolution isn't as important for static design as it is for video. That said, your work will look better up close since details will be clearer, so 4K is generally worth the extra outlay if you have the budget.
What specs does a graphic design monitor need?
There's no definitive answer for what specs you need in a graphic design monitor, but there are certainly some factors you need to consider.
Resolution: Higher resolution means more detail and screen real estate for precise editing. Aim for at least QHD (2560x1440). 4K (3840x2160) is ideal for detailed work.
Size: 27 inches or larger is recommended for comfortable viewing and complex projects. In theory, the larger a monitor the better, but remember that huge monitos require more space, are less portable and can be pricier.
Colour accuracy & gamut: Accurate colours are essential for consistent reproduction. We'd suggest you aim for 95%+ coverage of Adobe RGB (for print) and DCI-P3 (for digital). sRGB is good, but secondary. As for colour depth, 8-bit is minimum, 10-bit ideal for smooth gradients. For more on this, read our article on What is colour gamut?.
Panel type: IPS panels generally provide wider viewing angles and better colour accuracy. VA offers high contrast but weaker colour accuracy. TN is fast (making this type ideal for gaming) but poor for design.
Ports: DisplayPort (essential for high-res), HDMI, and USB-C are useful. Also check whether you need specific versions for higher resolutions/refresh rates (e.g., DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0 for 4K 60Hz).
Brightness & contrast: These affect how visible the work on your screen will be in practice. For brightness, aim for 250 cd/m² (nits) minimum, or higher for bright rooms. For contrast, 1000:1 is standard, higher is better.
What's the best screen type for graphic artists?
Monitors mainly use LCD or OLED screens. LCDs are more affordable, while offering decent brightness and contrast, and recent advances make the best of these a viable option for graphic artists due to improved colour accuracy. Mini-LED, a sub-type of LCD screens, uses numerous LED backlights for enhanced contrast, black levels, and brightness. OLEDs, meanwhile, are pricier but offer superior contrast, black levels, colour accuracy, and viewing angles due to per-pixel backlighting control. While burn-in was a concern with this type of display, it's less of an issue now.
Is OLED needed for graphic design work?
OLED isn't essential for graphic design, especially for beginners. If you're looking to save money, LCD screens, inlcuding mini-LEDs, are also a strong contender. However, OLED offers superior black levels, contrast, colour, brightness, and viewing angles due to precise backlighting control, so it's worth considering if budget allows.
Beren has worked on creative titles at Future Publishing for over 13 years. Cutting his teeth as Staff Writer on the digital art magazine ImagineFX, he moved on to edit several creative titles, and is currently the Ecommerce Editor on the most effective creative website in the world. When he's not testing and reviewing the best ergonomic office chairs, phones, laptops, TVs, monitors and various types of storage, he can be found finding and comparing the best deals on the tech that creatives value the most.
