The Best Monitors for Photo Editing

Best monitor for photo editing

For anyone who is serious about photography, having a good monitor for post-processing is important. A good monitor can make the difference between dull, lifeless photos and photos that really pop off the screen. There are many different monitors available, and we are happy to help you choose. In this buying guide, we explain what to look for when buying a monitor for photo editing.

Resolution

For a photo editing monitor, it is important to have as much screen space as possible. A large screen is useful because it lets you view your images properly while keeping your editing tools close at hand. For photo editing, a monitor with at least Full HD resolution, 1920x1080, is recommended. For professional photo editing, a higher resolution is better, such as a monitor with 4K resolution, 3840x2160. With a higher resolution, you can edit your images down to the smallest details. The monitor displays more pixels, allowing you to zoom in more without losing quality. This lets you work more precisely and gives you more control over the final result.

Showing true colours

One of the most important things to consider when buying a monitor is colour. Of course, you want colours to be displayed as accurately as possible. The absolute basic requirement is a monitor with an IPS panel, which stands for In Plane Switching. This is a type of LCD that aligns pixels in such a way that colours are displayed well from different viewing angles. Whether you look at the monitor from below or from the side, the colours always look the same. Monitors with an IPS panel also have greater dynamic contrast, allowing you to see more subtle colour nuances.

Colour spaces are also important when choosing a monitor. A colour space is the colour range of your monitor and determines how images are displayed. A standard monitor uses the sRGB colour space. This is the most common colour space, but also the most limited. It only displays a certain number of colours, with relatively large “steps” between different shades. As a result, colour nuances in your images can be lost. This is especially noticeable in green and blue colours, so a larger colour space is particularly interesting for landscape and underwater photographers. With other colour spaces, such as ProPhoto RGB, you have access to many more colours, resulting in a more natural colour display.

What is RGB?

Are you already feeling confused by the term “RGB”? No problem. Every image you see on your monitor consists of pixels. You can compare this to millions of coloured dots that together form an image, just like in the pointillism of Georges Seurat. Google it if you like. Every pixel is made up of three colours: red, green and blue. That is where the abbreviation “RGB” comes from.

Whatever type of photographer you are, you probably always want to use the most natural-looking display of your images possible. It is wise to choose a monitor that can work with multiple colour spaces. Think of a monitor that covers at least 90% of the sRGB spectrum and 70% of the Adobe RGB spectrum. For professional photo editing, it is useful to have a screen that can also work with ProPhoto RGB, one of the colour spaces with the widest colour range. Keep in mind, however, that files in ProPhoto RGB are very large. This means you also need a powerful PC and plenty of storage space.

Adjustability

Monitors are usually positioned horizontally, but not all images you edit are horizontal. That is why it is useful to be able to adjust your monitor properly. Fortunately, there are monitors that allow you to rotate the screen vertically, but not all monitors can do this. So it is wise to pay close attention to this if you often shoot vertically, for example with portraits.

Hood

A hood is a useful addition to your monitor. It prevents unwanted light reflections on your screen, helping to provide accurate colour display. With a hood, you can also work in brightly lit rooms or rooms where sunlight shines in. Many hoods can be used on your monitor in both horizontal and vertical positions. Although a hood has many advantages and is definitely worth considering for professional photo editing, it is not required. You will have to decide for yourself whether you think it is worth the investment.

Brightness and contrast ratio

Brightness is important, but not as important as is often thought. For photo editing, it is important that your screen has uniform brightness, meaning there should be no dark edges when displaying a completely white screen. If you have found a monitor with an IPS panel, you should no longer have this problem, because IPS panels already help with this. The contrast ratio is also less important than many people think. Many sellers use the contrast ratio as a selling point. They often say that more is better. In reality, this is not always the case. A contrast ratio of 1000:1 is perfectly fine. You can go higher if you want, but it is not essential for a good monitor.

Calibration

What is very important for a monitor, however, is calibration. Calibration adjusts colours and black levels so you can be sure you are seeing the correct colours. Without calibration, for example, a screen may display purple while the actual colour is dark blue. If you do not calibrate, you might as well buy a cheap monitor. Fortunately, many monitors nowadays come with their own calibration software, allowing you to calibrate your monitor in just a few clicks. Although pre-installed software is fine for hobby editing, professional photo editing really requires good calibration software. Want to know more about calibration? This article explains how to calibrate your monitor.

In short

To make a long story short, we have summarized what to look for when buying a monitor.

If you edit photos as a hobby, your monitor should preferably have the following features:

• PS panel
  
• At least Full HD resolution
  
• At least 90% of the sRGB spectrum and 70% of the Adobe RGB spectrum, preferably above 99% of both
  
• Optional 90-degree rotation
  
• Optional hood
  

If you edit photos professionally, your monitor should preferably have the following features:

• IPS panel
  
• 4K resolution
  
• The widest possible colour range of sRGB, Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB
  
• 90-degree rotation
  
• Hood that can be switched from horizontal to vertical use
  

You now have enough information to choose a monitor for photo editing that suits your activities and level. Good luck with your search, and do not forget to take a look at our range of monitors.