We’ve gathered the best of the best in the ultrawide monitor market and run them through a barrage of tests to determine their fitness to display your games, your movies, or even your workspace. The same principle applies to your monitor. The best monitor calibrators you can buy today. Datacolor Spyder5Elite+ Calibration reminders; Easy setup; The Spyder5ELITE+ is DataColor’s top flight monitor calibrator and features a set of easy to use tools that will ensure that your images look as good off screen as they do on.
Best Monitors for Photo Editing - RTINGS.COM
We buy our own products and put them under the same testing methodology so that you can easily compare them. Unlike most websites, we do not get our products directly from the manufacturers, which means our units aren’t handpicked and actually represent what you would buy yourself. We spend a lot of time comparing the products side-by-side to validate our results and we keep them until they are discontinued so we can continually go back and make sure our reviews are always accurate.
Whether you are a professional photographer, or you’re just looking to touch up some vacation photos, one of the most important factors for a good photo is a good monitor. There is nothing worse than printing off a bunch of photos, or sending them to your client, just to discover that the colors are wrong because your monitor couldn’t display them properly. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get a decent monitor for photo editing, even some basic models have accurate colors and great color gamuts.
We’ve reviewed 58 monitors, and below you’ll find our picks for the best ones for photo editing.
LG 27UK650-W: The best monitor for photo editing
LG 27UK650-W - RTINGS.COM
Type: IPS
Size: 27”
The LG 27UK650-W is the best monitor for photo editing that we’ve tested so far. It has a great 4k resolution and a large, 27” screen that allows you to see more of your work at once. The image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, which allows you to easily show off your work to your colleagues or customers without having to turn the screen.
It has excellent coverage of the s.RGB color space, but unfortunately, it has limited coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space, which isn’t ideal for professional photo editing. The 27UK650 also has nearly perfect gradient performance, so you won’t get any artificial banding in your photos.
Unfortunately, the 27UK650 doesn’t look as good in a dark room, as it can’t produce true blacks and has mediocre black uniformity. It also has limited HDR performance, as it can’t get very bright in HDR and doesn’t have a local dimming feature. Overall though, the 27UK650 is a very good monitor for most uses, and it should please most people.
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LG 32UD99-W: The best large monitor for photo editing
LG 32UD99-W - RTINGS.COM
Type: IPS
Size: 32”
If you like the LG 27UK650, but would prefer a larger model with a bit better connectivity, check out the LG 32UD99-W. The 32UD99 has a slightly larger screen than the 27UK650, making it easier to see small details in your work without having to zoom the image.
It has slightly better connectivity, thanks to the addition of a USB Hub, great for quickly connecting peripherals like a drawing tablet or high precision wired mouse. It also has a USB-C port that supports power delivery, so you can display your laptop on the monitor and keep it charged at the same time, with only one cable.
Unfortunately, like the 27UK650, the 32UD99 doesn’t look as good in a dark room, and it has limited HDR capabilities. Overall though, it is a very good monitor that should please most people.
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Acer Predator X27: The best monitor for professional photo editing
Acer Predator X27 - RTINGS.COM
Type: IPS
Size: 27”
If you will mainly be using the monitor for professional photo editing, the Acer Predator X27 has the widest color gamut of any monitor we’ve tested. The X27 is an impressive 27” monitor with an excellent wide color gamut, great HDR performance, and wide viewing angles.
It has nearly perfect coverage of both the s.RGB color space, and the Adobe RGB color space, which is great for professional photo editing with SDR content. In HDR, it has the best color gamut of any display that we’ve tested so far, including TVs.
Unfortunately, like the other monitors on this list, the X27 doesn’t look as good in a dark room, as it has disappointing native contrast and bad black uniformity, even with local dimming enabled. Although it doesn’t come cheap, if you need the absolute best, the Predator X27 won’t disappoint.
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Dell U3818DW: The best ultrawide monitor for photo editing
Dell AW3418DW - RTINGS.COM
Type: IPS
Size: 38”
If you prefer a larger aspect ratio for easier multitasking or for design work, the Dell U3818DW is the best ultrawide monitor for photo editing and media creation that we’ve tested so far. It has a large, 38” screen and impressive 3840x1600 resolution, so you can easily work on large projects without having to constantly scroll around.
The U3818DW has a unique set of connections that allows you to see and work on two computers at the same time, even with just one keyboard and mouse. This is especially useful if you have a laptop and desktop computer.
Unfortunately, like the other monitors on this list, the Dell U3818DW isn’t as well suited for dark room editing, as it can’t produce deep blacks, and has disappointing black uniformity. It also isn’t as well for watching videos, as there is significant overshoot that causes noticeable motion smearing. Overall, it is a good ultrawide monitor that should please most people.
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Dell U2518D: The best budget monitor for photo editing
Dell U2518D - RTINGS.COM
Type: IPS
Size: 25”
If you want a decent monitor for occasional photo editing, the Dell U2518D is the best budget monitor for photo editing that we’ve tested so far. It has excellent accuracy out of the box, an excellent SDR color gamut, and outstanding gradient results.
Like most Dell monitors, the U2518D has a great stand that can be easily adjusted to an optimal viewing position. It gets bright enough to easily overcome glare in a bright studio, and has good reflections handling.
Unfortunately, although it supports HDR, this doesn’t add much, and it has disappointing black uniformity. It also doesn’t cover the Adobe RGB color space very well, which is limited for professional photo editing. Overall, it is a decent monitor for most uses, and although it is a bit smaller than the other monitors on this list, it is a good choice for occasional photo editing.
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This guide may have been updated. To see all measurements and the current recommendations for photo editing and media creation, please go here.
'>Best Monitors for Photo Editing - RTINGS.COM
RTINGS.COMWe buy our own products and put them under the same testing methodology so that you can easily compare them. Unlike most websites, we do not get our products directly from the manufacturers, which means our units aren’t handpicked and actually represent what you would buy yourself. We spend a lot of time comparing the products side-by-side to validate our results and we keep them until they are discontinued so we can continually go back and make sure our reviews are always accurate.
Whether you are a professional photographer, or you’re just looking to touch up some vacation photos, one of the most important factors for a good photo is a good monitor. There is nothing worse than printing off a bunch of photos, or sending them to your client, just to discover that the colors are wrong because your monitor couldn’t display them properly. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get a decent monitor for photo editing, even some basic models have accurate colors and great color gamuts.
We’ve reviewed 58 monitors, and below you’ll find our picks for the best ones for photo editing.
LG 27UK650-W: The best monitor for photo editing
Type: IPS
Size: 27”
The LG 27UK650-W is the best monitor for photo editing that we’ve tested so far. It has a great 4k resolution and a large, 27” screen that allows you to see more of your work at once. The image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, which allows you to easily show off your work to your colleagues or customers without having to turn the screen.
It has excellent coverage of the s.RGB color space, but unfortunately, it has limited coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space, which isn’t ideal for professional photo editing. The 27UK650 also has nearly perfect gradient performance, so you won’t get any artificial banding in your photos.
Unfortunately, the 27UK650 doesn’t look as good in a dark room, as it can’t produce true blacks and has mediocre black uniformity. It also has limited HDR performance, as it can’t get very bright in HDR and doesn’t have a local dimming feature. Overall though, the 27UK650 is a very good monitor for most uses, and it should please most people.
LG 32UD99-W: The best large monitor for photo editing
Type: IPS
Size: 32”
If you like the LG 27UK650, but would prefer a larger model with a bit better connectivity, check out the LG 32UD99-W. The 32UD99 has a slightly larger screen than the 27UK650, making it easier to see small details in your work without having to zoom the image.
It has slightly better connectivity, thanks to the addition of a USB Hub, great for quickly connecting peripherals like a drawing tablet or high precision wired mouse. It also has a USB-C port that supports power delivery, so you can display your laptop on the monitor and keep it charged at the same time, with only one cable.
Unfortunately, like the 27UK650, the 32UD99 doesn’t look as good in a dark room, and it has limited HDR capabilities. Overall though, it is a very good monitor that should please most people.
Acer Predator X27: The best monitor for professional photo editing
Type: IPS
Size: 27”
If you will mainly be using the monitor for professional photo editing, the Acer Predator X27 has the widest color gamut of any monitor we’ve tested. The X27 is an impressive 27” monitor with an excellent wide color gamut, great HDR performance, and wide viewing angles.
It has nearly perfect coverage of both the s.RGB color space, and the Adobe RGB color space, which is great for professional photo editing with SDR content. In HDR, it has the best color gamut of any display that we’ve tested so far, including TVs.
Unfortunately, like the other monitors on this list, the X27 doesn’t look as good in a dark room, as it has disappointing native contrast and bad black uniformity, even with local dimming enabled. Although it doesn’t come cheap, if you need the absolute best, the Predator X27 won’t disappoint.
Dell U3818DW: The best ultrawide monitor for photo editing
Type: IPS
Size: 38”
If you prefer a larger aspect ratio for easier multitasking or for design work, the Dell U3818DW is the best ultrawide monitor for photo editing and media creation that we’ve tested so far. It has a large, 38” screen and impressive 3840x1600 resolution, so you can easily work on large projects without having to constantly scroll around.
The U3818DW has a unique set of connections that allows you to see and work on two computers at the same time, even with just one keyboard and mouse. This is especially useful if you have a laptop and desktop computer.
Unfortunately, like the other monitors on this list, the Dell U3818DW isn’t as well suited for dark room editing, as it can’t produce deep blacks, and has disappointing black uniformity. It also isn’t as well for watching videos, as there is significant overshoot that causes noticeable motion smearing. Overall, it is a good ultrawide monitor that should please most people.
Dell U2518D: The best budget monitor for photo editing
Type: IPS
Size: 25”
If you want a decent monitor for occasional photo editing, the Dell U2518D is the best budget monitor for photo editing that we’ve tested so far. It has excellent accuracy out of the box, an excellent SDR color gamut, and outstanding gradient results.
Like most Dell monitors, the U2518D has a great stand that can be easily adjusted to an optimal viewing position. It gets bright enough to easily overcome glare in a bright studio, and has good reflections handling.
Unfortunately, although it supports HDR, this doesn’t add much, and it has disappointing black uniformity. It also doesn’t cover the Adobe RGB color space very well, which is limited for professional photo editing. Overall, it is a decent monitor for most uses, and although it is a bit smaller than the other monitors on this list, it is a good choice for occasional photo editing.
This guide may have been updated. To see all measurements and the current recommendations for photo editing and media creation, please go here.
Buying the best monitors for photo editing you can afford is a brilliant investment. Whether you're a skilled freelance photographer, a student learning the ropes or someone with a passionate hobby for snapping photos - this guide will show you the very best monitors for photo editing.
It really all comes down to colour accuracy well...mostly. This is how well your screen can accurately display the colours from images being shown, in other words, how accurately the monitor shows greens, blues and other colours in the world. This may not sound like the biggest issue but for professional creatives, it is crucial.
While it’s wise to also invest in a monitor calibration tool, making colours show perfectly on your screen, the best monitors for photo editing out there will start off with high-end colour accuracy already. The calibration tool is simply for perfecting at that point.
Like we said above, while colour accuracy is crucial, there are other factors. You'll also want to take into account brightness and contrast levels: similarly, these give you the best possible perspective on black and white levels in an image.
Additionally, there are now a whole lot of display form factors to choose from, with a range of sizes that support 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution. The quite new introduction to the market of ultra-wide curved monitors will give you masses of space to work in and the thinnest possible bezels, but not everyone. But if you opt for one, remember to set the monitor up at an appropriate distance and height from your sitting position.
No matter what you're looking for in the monitor, there are a lot of choices out there. And if you need a screen to do more than just photo editing, be sure to check out our post on the best monitors for everything else too. But if images are your forte and you're striving for perfection, here’s our pick of the best monitors for photo editing.
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01. BenQ SW2700PT
A high-end monitor for photo editing that’s relatively kind to your wallet
Screen size: 27-inch | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI 1 x DVI-DL | USB: 2 x USB 3.0
Affordable price for 99% AdobeRGB coverage
![Best Photographer Monitor Best Photographer Monitor](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126301137/208434807.jpg)
No 4K support
The BenQ 27-inch SW2700PT display is a more affordable colour-accurate monitor for photo editing than some of the 32-inch behemoths on the market. It requires less desktop space to boot, but without sacrificing a high standard of image quality – making it one of the best monitors for photo editing you can get right now. It features a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution using the same 14-bit look-up table and offering the same 99% AdobeRGB coverage you find on displays from other manufacturers that can cost more than twice as much. Similarly, you get hardware calibration support and it comes with a nifty shading hood to eliminate glare from ambient light. While it may not support 4K resolution, the image quality is very good for digital photography. The SW2700PT is an excellent purchase if you want a professional display without the high prices of larger 4K screens.
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02. ASUS ProArt PA329Q
A great all-round monitor for photo editing, if you have a bit more cash
Screen size: 32-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1x Mini-DisplayPort, 4 x HDMI | USB: 3 x USB 3.0
Great selection of inputs and USB connectivity
No USB-C
The 32-inch Asus PA329Q is a 4K monitor with a fairly hefty price tag: it's considerably more than other displays of its size. However, you can literally see where this extra money goes when you first catch a glimpse of its sumptuous image, thanks to its full support for Rec.709, sRGB and AdobeRGB (99.5%) colour spaces.
It features proper 10-bit colour depth (as opposed to cheaper 8-bit monitors which use trick called frame reference counting to simulate 10-bit colour depth) with a 14-bit colour look-up table. Features-wise, it has a lot to offer as well, with a three-port USB 3 hub, four HDMI inputs, two DisplayPort inputs and full tilt, swivel and rotate capability. Best of all, it has a joystick to quickly navigate through the on-screen menus, vastly speeding up the time to flick through all the different preset colour options or make changes to the display brightness, gamma or contrast.
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3. Eizo ColorEdge CG319X
Screen size: 31-inch | Resolution: 4096 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 2 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI | USB: 3 x USB 3.0
Unrivalled image quality
High-end specification for ultimate colour accuracy
Some features unnecessary for non-pros
Eizo trades heavily on a reputation for being the ultimate professional display brand. When you first see the clarity, vivacity and brightness of an Eizo display, it’s immediately obvious why they’re so much more expensive than other monitors and cost far more than most of us spend on an entire PC. The latest version of Eizo’s flagship 31-inch professional monitor, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X, builds upon its predecessor, using an unmatched 24-bit look-up table for 10-bit colour depth, supporting 99% AdobeRGB, 100% Rec.709 and 98% DCI-P3 colour spaces. It also supports a slightly wider 4K resolution of 4096 x 2160, conforming to the professional DCI 4K standard used by some professional studios.
It has a unique built-in hardware colour calibration tool that pops down with a click every time the monitor is power cycled, ensuring the colours remain in sync without needing to use a third-party colorimeter. New to this generation are hybrid-log gamma and perceptual quantisation for working with HDR video – a feature that, again, will be of most interest to studios and freelancers working with high-end imagery.
Although most of us will take one look at the price and quickly move on, it should be remembered that the CG319X is a display that’s on another level. It's aimed at a niche professional audience where business demands the best possible colour accuracy, and boy, it sure delivers on this front.
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04. Dell UltraSharp U2518D
Superb picture quality that won't break the bank
Screen size: 25-inch | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 2 x DisplayPort, 1x Mini-DP 1 x HDMI | USB: 2 x USB 3.0
Full sRGB coverage
Small screen size for QHD resolution
If you’re looking for a great monitor for photo editing that fits a more reasonable budget, Dell’s UltraSharp range delivers a great image. This 25-inch UltraSharp U2518D squeezes in under the £300 mark, and although it doesn’t offer the same absolute premium colour reproduction of the priciest displays we’ve suggested, it’s still capable of full sRGB coverage with a quality IPS panel that is accurate to a delta E of less than three.
Contrast levels of 1000:1 are some of the best in this price range, with 350 nits of brightness to product a crystal clear image. The response time can go as low as 5ms, making it great for gaming on too – the U2518D makes a good all rounder display whatever you’re using your computer for. This is the best budget photo-editing monitor you can get.
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05. Viewsonic VP3881
Screen size: 37.5-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 1600 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI | USB: 3 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB-C
Huge amount of desktop space
Image spec behind other displays
The ultra-wide form factor is usually found in displays aimed at gaming or general computer use, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see ViewSonic has stepped in to offer graphic artists a massive 37.5-inch 21:9 display with the VP3881. Ultra-wide displays such as this are like having two smaller monitors together on the desk, without a bezel breaking up the desktop space. It gives you space to have multiple windows open at once, boosting productivity immensely as you can have webpages, file explorers, and multiple editing applications on-screen simultaneously.
The image quality isn’t quite in the same league as other displays listed here – it offers 100% sRGB coverage but a slightly narrower AdobeRGB conformity, and the 10-bit colour depth is compensated by frame reference counting. But it has a very complete set of image customisation settings in the on-screen menus that's enough to make the VP3881 a cut above other ultra-wide screens.
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06. Acer ProDesigner PE320QK
A photography monitor that works well with games too
Screen size: 32-inch | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Panel technology: IPS | Inputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI, 1x D-Sub | USB: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB-C
Gaming features as well as imagery
Higher price than other 32-inch 4K displays
Acer’s 32-inch colour-accurate 4K display, the ProDesigner PE320QK, is aimed squarely at people who care about professional-grade graphics work and photo editing. It comes with an anti-glare hood to eliminate ambient light that may affect on-screen colour accuracy. And rated at 550 nits brightness, it supports 10-bit colour, covering 100% Rec.709 and 90% DCI-P3 colour spaces.
Unlike the other photo-editing monitors here, there are a few extra features that may appeal to gaming use as well, such as a 4ms response time, a few gaming presets in the menus and support for FreeSync adaptive-sync technology (which only works with AMD graphics cards, unfortunately.) If you’re a gamer and a photographer, those extra features could be enough to persuade you that the PE320QK is the only display you’ll ever need.
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