10 Best Monitors for Photo Editing 2020

If you are a photography enthusiast, graphic designer or a professional photographer, the usual monitor that usually ships with a desktop will not reflect your art best. Advancement in video technology presents a number of options when it comes to choosing computer monitors. You no longer have to do with the generic monitor that shipped with your computer, which is best suited for casual use like web browsing and routine office work. We have compiled this guide to help you choose the best monitor for photo editing to suit your budget and requirements.

Top 10 Monitors for Photo Editing Table

PictureNameSizes (inches) PriceRating (1-5)
Picture
Name
Sizes (inches)
Price
Rating (1-5)
1. Dell UltraSharp U2715H 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor 24, 27, 29, 34$$4.5
2. ViewSonic VA2855SMH 28-Inch SuperClear Full HD LED Monitor22, 24, 28$4.5
3. BenQ 27-inch IPS Quad High Definition LED Monitor 24, 27, 32$$$4.4
4. ASUS PB258Q 25" WQHD 2560x1440 IPS DisplayPort 25, 29$$4.4
5. BenQ BL2420PT 23.8" IPS Designer Monitor 24, 27, 32$4.4
6. BenQ 24-inch IPS High Definition LED Monitor (PG2401PT)24, 27, 32$$$$4.4
7. BenQ BL2420U 23.6" 4K IPS Designer Monitor24, 27, 32$$4.4
8. BenQ PD2700Q 27" 2K IPS Designer Monitor24, 27, 33$$4.4
9. Acer G257HU smidpx 25-Inch WQHD19.5, 21.5, 23, 24, 25, 27$4.3
10. ASUS PA279Q 27" WQHD 2560x1440 AH-IPS DP Input 24.1, 27, 32$$$$4.2

Buying Information

If you are looking for a photo editing monitor, it would be appropriate to consider the following points before making a choice:

  • Size. For a beginner, a 24 inch monitor is recommended, though you can go for 27, 29 or even 32 inches, depending on how many toolbars and applications you usually keep open.
  • Panel. Twisted Nematic (TN) panel is the most common and that is exactly why you should stay away from it. In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology advancement has made them affordable and it should be the choice for photo editing.
  • Resolution. “Higher is better” is usually the rule of thumb. However, it should be applied after considering the screen size. For 24” display, 1920X1080 is the minimum you should opt for. It becomes 2560X1440 for a 27” display and 4K (3840X2160) for a 32” one.

Top 5 Best Monitor for Photo Editing Reviews

1. Dell UltraSharp U2715H 27-Inch Screen

Dell’s UltraSharp range has steadily gained popularity over the past decade. After a successful 24” portfolio, the manufacturers forayed into the 27” segment in 2010 by launching the U2711. The product has kept up with the changing times since then and the U2715 is the latest in that line. Offering a very desirable combination of essential features while keeping out the high end ones (that are often not required), the U2715H is the best monitor for photo editing, available at an attractive price.

The black and silver design of the screen is surrounded by a thin bezel which lends it a sober, professional look. The design carefully includes features such as adjustable tilt, height, rotate and swivel so that you can customize it to your ergonomic needs. Input provisions are made to accommodate HDMI (with MHL), DisplayPort (used for screen extension) and mini DisplayPort – which takes care of all the modern input formats, although the absence of a DVI would be a pain if you have older components.

The 5 touch sensitive buttons at the bottom allow easy access to the OSD menu and the 2560X1440 screen resolution is ideal for your graphic designing and photo editing needs. All this makes it a clear winner in the category.

2. ViewSonic VA2855SMH 28-Inch SuperClear

If you are an entry level graphic artist, budding photographer or just a hobby photographer testing the waters before diving into the world of photo editing, a big investment up front is not always a good idea. The VA2855SMH is a viable, inexpensive alternative. ViewSonic’s exclusive SuperClear Pro technology is capable of producing 16.7 million, distortion free colors at contrast ratio of 3000:1. 1080p Full HD resolution at an aspect ratio of 16:9 gives amazing clarity and detail.

Additional features such as Flicker Free viewing and Blue Light Filter make it a worthy companion for long hours of strain free operation, whether you are watching your favorite movies or working. There are other features expected of a monitor such as HDMI input port and dual speakers to facilitate connectivity. We like the VGA connectivity option a lot, as it keeps alive some of the older input devices – a feature that is sadly missing in modern monitors.

3. BenQ 27-inch IPS Quad High Definition

Your performance in digital imaging is determined by hardware you choose to work with. A photo editing monitor is an indispensable component – high quality monitor means sharp, clear image rendering and color reproduction – which translates into your best work. If you are looking for the best photo editing monitor available and are not restricted by budget, this one is a serious contender.

It comes loaded with all the ports you would expect a top notch monitor to come with – AC Power input, On-Screen Display (OSD) controller, 3.5 mm audio jack, DVI-D socket, HDMI input, DisplayPort, USB 3.0 input, SD memory card slot and two additional USB ports on the side which can turn the monitor into a USB hub. Ports are somewhat awkwardly located but once you turn it upright by 90 degrees, it will be sorted.

The factory settings render beautiful video and images. The 2560X1440 resolution works nicely with 27” dimension, giving it the ability to produce over 1.07 billion colors. Palette Master Element is a useful software that comes with it, enhancing the overall working experience.

4. ASUS PB258Q IPS DisplayPort

Asus presents an interesting combination of 25” photo editing monitor fitted with a 2560X1440 resolution and it certainly makes you sit up and take notice. It can produce 100% of sRGB range and comes with a TUV certified Flicker free and Blue Light filter to minimize eye fatigue. To further facilitate long working hours, its ergonomic stand comes with swivel, tilt, pivot and height adjustment functions – with the option to wall mount.

QuickFit Virtual Scale, combined with Virtual Intelligence gives a “what you see is what you get” experience. Other than the display features, it has all the input connectivity options that you would want in a monitor – HDMI/MHL, Dual-link DVI-D and WQHD content support.

It is available in sizes ranging from 24” to 32” and you have a variety of styles to choose from (100% sRGB, 100% CMYK and 99% Adobe RGB). To summarize, whether you are a hobby photographer or want a professional monitor to take your work to the next level, you’ll definitely find a size-style combo.

5. BenQ BL2420PT IPS Designer Monitor

A fantastically built, stunning looking, solid monitor – that is what it comes across as in first look. It ticks all the boxes with respect to ergonomics, fitting in the ability to raise/lower/tilt/rotate the screen to fit your posture perfectly. Once it powers on, the factory settings are enough to produce breathtaking visuals and we would not recommend altering it, until you really know what you are doing. After all, why fix something that’s not broken?

Other than producing stunning visuals, it has a number of smart features such as “Eye Protect” (adjusts brightness levels by sensing surrounding light) and the Eco Sensor (automatically senses your presence and goes on standby if you’re gone for over 40 seconds – only to be back once you are back from your break and sit in front of it).

Though it is one of the best monitors available at this price, couple of shortcomings are worth mentioning. We found the response time (ghosting/blurring) to be more than some of the other monitors mentioned above. If you are not looking to load this one with your extensive video-intensive gaming demands like Counter Strike and want to keep to photo editing and graphic design, this minor blip can safely be ignored.

Hope you find the monitor most suitable for your needs from this guide. Happy photo editing!