Best monitor for digital design TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Best monitor for digital design By Jeremy Laird published 17 June 2022 It's all about pixels, precision and maybe single-cable power delivery (Image credit: Shutterstock) When it comes to a monitor for digital design workflows, precision matters in all senses of the word. First up, you want plenty of pixels. That allows for lots of desktop elbow room for application menus and tools. It also means you can see fine details clearly and, depending on your output fidelity, are more likely to be able to view content at or near to native resolution as you work. So, how many pixels do you need, exactly? Currently, we'd treat 4K as a baseline for serious design work. Fortunately, that doesn't necessarily make for a megabucks display. Like most things of late, monitor prices have risen. But shop around and you should still find a basic 27-inch or 28-inch 4K panel for under $250 / £250. Note that at lower price points you probably can't expect the last word in color accuracy. That Philips panel covers 90 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut, which is nothing special. As a rule of thumb, 95 percent coverage or better of both the DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB gamuts is a good target if color accuracy is critical. How to choose a monitor for digital design While those 27-inch and 28-inch monitors can be great value, some users will prefer a slightly larger 4K panel to provide more working space. The 32-inch form factor is increasingly popular, giving a larger panel while retaining reasonably high pixel density. Moving up the size scale, even larger 40-inch and 42-inch 4K monitors are available, often relatively affordably. Note, however, such screens are typically based on TV panels and tend to lack accuracy. At that panel size, pixel density is much lower too, which is noticeable in terms of font rendering and sharpness. Other than conventional 4K, you have the option of a limited number of 5K and 5K2K displays. The former basically boils down to a 27-inch panel with 5,120 by 2,880 pixels, a fairly substantial step up on the 3,840 by 2,160 pixels of 4K or UHD. The result is very high pixel density of 217DPI and ultra crisp fonts. Ultrawide form factors are also worth considering. Entry level ultrawide would be 34 inches and 3,440 by 1,440 pixels. If you want something really expansive, there are a few 40-inch models with fully 5,120 by 2,160 pixels. The resulting 138DPI is about the same as a more conventional 32-inch 4K panel, but you get extra width either side for tools and multi-tasking. If you can afford it, it's a very sweet display, indeed. Color accuracy can be important for digital design work, so look out for coverage rates of 95 percent or more for the AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts. However, it's unlikely that forking out for a true HDR display is worthwhile for digital design work. Instead, prioritising usability and connectivity makes more sense. For starters, a monitor stand with a full range of adjustment is critical. Height and tilt adjustments are the bare minimum, while swivel and rotate into portrait are desirable if not critical extras. Then there is connectivity. Most monitors will have both DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity, so hooking up to a desktop PC, workstation or Mac shouldn't be a problem. That said, do take care to consider your PC's output with regard to higher resolutions. You'll need HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 or better for 4K at 60Hz refresh, for instance. If you're a laptop user, we'd strongly advise stretching to a monitor with USB Type-C connectivity. It does add a price premium. But you absolutely, positively won't regret it. USB-C allows you to drive the display, charge the laptop and connect peripherals like keyboard, mouse and external storage, all with a single cable. It's quicker, so much slicker and ergonomically makes everything so much tidier. Just be sure to check that any given monitor with USB-C includes power delivery. A few skimp on that feature, making USB-C far less functional. We've also featured the best monitors for a dual setup. (Image credit: Future) 1 Philips 288E2A Affordable 4K Panel: 28-inch IPS Resolution : 3,840 x 2,160 Brightness : 300cd/m2 Pixel response : 4ms Color coverage : 119% sRGB Refresh rate : 60Hz Inputs : DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0VISIT SITE (opens in new tab)4K resolution28-inch panel sizeAdjustable standNot that brightLimited color coverage Looking for an entry-level monitor for digital design work? You could do a lot worse than the Philips 288E2A. It's a 28-inch 4K model with plenty of desktop real estate. The pixel density is also decent, so fonts and menus are nice and crisp. It uses an IPS panel, which makes for excellent viewing angles, albeit this isn't the brightest screen in the world at 300 nits and there's absolutely no HDr support. It's worth noting there's no USB-C connectivity, which is no surprise at this price point. Still, the slim-bezel design looks contemporary and the stand provides both height and tilt adjustment. There are more accurate monitors with more features. But they all cost a lot more money. Read the full Philips 288E2A review (opens in new tab). (Image credit: Future) 2 AOC U32P2 32-inch 4K without the frills Panel: 32-inch VA Resolution : 3,840 x 2,160 Brightness : 350cd/m2 Pixel response : 4ms Color coverage : 88% AdobeRGB Refresh rate : 60Hz Inputs : DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0 x2VISIT SITE (opens in new tab)Fully adjustable stand32-inch 4K VA panelRelatively affordableMediocre color accuracyNo USB-C or HDR support 4K at 32-inches is arguably the sweet spot when it comes to balancing panel size with pixel density. The AOC U32P2 nails that remit with a 32-inch VA panel at a relatively affordable price. The VA tech delivers great contrast, but not the best color accuracy. At this price point, you also don't get USB-C single-cable connectivity with charging. However, if what you mainly want is a nice, big display with the precision and desktop elbow room that comes with 4K at 32 inches, the AOC U32P2 is great value. If ergonomics are important, it's also worth noting that this AOC's stand supports a full range of adjustments including rotate into portrait mode. Read the full AOC U32P2 review (opens in new tab). (Image credit: Dell) 3 Dell UltraSharp U4021QW Ultrawide awesomeness Panel: 40-inch IPS Resolution : 5,120 x 2,160 Brightness : 300cd/m2 Pixel response : 5ms Color coverage : 98% DCI-P3 Refresh rate : 60Hz Inputs : DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0 x2, USB-C with 90W PDVISIT SITE (opens in new tab)Epic 40-inch panelDecent pixel desnityGood color coverageNo HDR supportExpensive If you want maximum screen space while retaining decent precision and pixel density, look no further than the Dell UltraSharp U4021QW. It's a massive 40-inch ultrawide panel with no fewer than 5,120 x 2,160 pixels. That makes for a huge working space. It also offers excellent color coverage at 98 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut. USB-C connectivity with 90W of power delivery rounds out what is, frankly, an epic all-round package. Of course, this class of display doesn't come cheap. And there's no HDR support. But as conventional SDR panels go, this is about as good as it get for digital design workflows. Read the full Dell UltraSharp U4021QW review (opens in new tab). (Image credit: Future) 4 Viewsonic VP3268a-4K All-round 4K accuracy Panel: 32-inch IPS Resolution : 3,840 x 2,160 Brightness : 300cd/m2 Pixel response : 5ms Color coverage : 113% sRGB Refresh rate : 60Hz Inputs : DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0 x2, USB-C with 90W PD$835.95 (opens in new tab)at Amazon (opens in new tab)$849.99 (opens in new tab)at Walmart (opens in new tab)$849.99 (opens in new tab)at Newegg (opens in new tab)4K precisionUSB-C with 90W power deliveryPantone certifiedNo HDR supportNot terribly bright If you're in the market for a 4K panel and have the budget for a bit more precision, the Viewsonic VP3268a-4K should be on your shortlist. It's a 32-inch model with IPS panel technology for great viewing angles and colors. It's a cut above the budget IPS options with improved accuracy and Pantone Validation, the latter being handy for workflows aimed at print products. You also get USB-C connectivity with 90W of power delivery for quick and slick single-cable connectivity to a laptop. There are cheaper 4K monitors and HDR support is conspicuous by its absence. But as an overall work tool for digital design, this is a very appealing proposition. Read the full VP3268a-4K review (opens in new tab). (Image credit: Future) 5 Huawei MateView A taller alternative to widescreen computing Panel: 28.2-inch IPS Resolution : 3,840 x 2,560 Brightness : 500cd/m2 Pixel response : 5ms Color coverage : 98% DCI-P3 Refresh rate : 60Hz Inputs : HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, USB-C with 90W power delivery$1,157 (opens in new tab)at Amazon (opens in new tab)Unusual aspect ratioPlenty of pixelsSurprisingly reasonably pricedUnusual aspect ratioLimited HDR support In a world of wide and ultrawide monitors, the Huawei MateView does things differently. Instead of 16:9, 21:9 or even wider, it's an unusually tall 3:2 aspect screen. Pixels-wise, you get 3,840 by 2,560 on a 28.2-inch panel. So, think of it as a 4K monitor with added space above and below. Depending on the software and tools you use, that could be very handy. So, could the USB-C interface with 65W of power delivery for easy single-cable connectivity. It's bright, too, at 500 nits and offers good accuracy at 98 percent coverage of DCI-P3. Add in extra frills like wireless display mirroring and you have an impressive package at a remarkably reasonable price. Read the full Huawei MateView review (opens in new tab). How to choose a monitor for digital design Five things to look out for on a display for digital design: Pixels and lots of them. More pixels gives you more space to work with and better visual clarity. 4K is now affordable so you can treat that as a basic requirement. USB-C connectivity with power delivery makes life so much easier and tidier for laptop users. Simply hook up to the display with a single cable. A monitor with a fully adjustable stand is critical for ergonomics. At minimum, look for height and tilt adjustments, buit swivel and rotate to portrait mode can be handy, too. Depending on your workflow, color accuracy can be important. If so, aim for at least 95 percent coverage of the AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts. Consider different aspect ratios. Most monitors are currently 16:9 aspect, but ultrawide or even extra tall displays could be the perfect fit for your workflow. How we tested the best monitors for digital design We review monitors based on a number of factors including price, design, and performance. We consider the size of each display, along with panel type, resolution, refresh rate, color coverage and HDR support. We also consider connectivity, including HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C and wireless interfaces. Pixel density and color accuracy are particularly important for digital design monitors, but so are ergonomics, so we assess stand adjustability and stability. Finally, build quality and value for money are judged against competitors in the market. We've also featured the best business monitors. Jeremy LairdContributor Technology and cars. Increasingly the twain shall meet. Which is handy, because Jeremy (Twitter) is addicted to both. Long-time tech journalist, former editor of iCar magazine and incumbent car guru for T3 magazine, Jeremy reckons in-car technology is about to go thermonuclear. No, not exploding cars. That would be silly. And dangerous. But rather an explosive period of unprecedented innovation. Enjoy the ride. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. 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