If you're a graphic designer, one of the most important pieces in your setup is the monitor, which allows you to properly edit your work. The last thing you want is for content to look one way on your monitor and then look completely different once your client opens it. Although there are dedicated professional content creation monitors, those are expensive, and the next best option is to get an everyday monitor that performs well for graphic design. With this in mind, you'll want to get something that covers a wide range of the color space you're working with, like sRGB or Rec. 2020. If you aren't planning on calibrating the monitor, you'll want it to be accurate out of the box.
There are other factors you may want to consider. A bigger screen size can help you be more productive with multiple windows opened side by side, but size is ultimately a personal preference. Having a high resolution helps make content look sharp with a ton of details. 4k monitors are generally the best choices because of this, but there are a handful of 5k monitors you can get. You may also want to think about which USB ports the monitor offers in case you want to connect devices directly to it.
We've bought and tested more than 395 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best graphic design monitors. Also see our recommendations for the best monitors for photo editing, the best monitors for video editing, and, if you have a MacBook, the best monitors for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
-
Best Monitor For Graphic Design
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeOLEDSub-TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160The best monitor for graphic design that we've tested is the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. It's a high-end OLED that delivers incredible picture quality. Its QD-OLED panel displays deep blacks in dark rooms without any haloing around bright objects, which is ideal for working with dark content. It also comes with an sRGB mode that's so accurate that calibrating it doesn't make it significantly better. It even displays a wide range of colors in common color spaces, including DCI-P3 and Rec. 2020, making them look vivid.
Additionally, it features several productivity perks, including a USB hub with DisplayPort Alt Mode and 90W of power delivery, allowing you to charge a laptop while in use. It also comes with an ergonomic stand and features a wide viewing angle, which is helpful when sharing your work with someone nearby, as the image remains consistent from the sides. Its high 4k resolution makes text and images look sharp, and its 27-inch screen is big enough to open two windows side by side. However, you may prefer the bigger ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM if you want extra screen space, but it costs more. That said, both of these OLEDs risk burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time. This is less of a concern if you change up what you have on-screen, though.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor For Graphic Design
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate70 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution5120 x 2880If you find the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM slightly out of your price range, look into the BenQ MA270S instead. It's a different type of monitor that's geared towards content creation, but it has some notable trade-offs. For example, it lacks an OLED panel for the same deep blacks without any haloing around bright objects, so it's not ideal for editing content in a dark room. It has a good overall native contrast ratio, but without a local dimming feature to further improve it, blacks look gray in dark content. Its colors aren't as vivid as on the ASUS, either, which is something to consider if you edit colorful content.
That said, it has some advantages over the ASUS as well. It has a higher 5k resolution for more detailed images, and it gets brighter, making it the better choice for well-lit rooms. Plus, this monitor has Thunderbolt 4 support, which is ideal if you edit content with a MacBook that also supports Thunderbolt 4. It even supports daisy chaining to a second screen, making it a great choice for a multi-monitor setup. Lastly, it comes with an accurate sRGB mode, but you may want to calibrate it to fix out-of-the-box white balance and color temperature issues.
-
Best Mid-Range Monitor For Graphic Design
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate60 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you aren't looking for a high-end monitor for content creation, the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV is a good, cheaper alternative to the BenQ MA270S. The main difference is that the ASUS has a lower 4k resolution, so text and images aren't as sharp. It also has a different coating, as its matte coating has less mirror-like reflections than the glossy coating of the BenQ, at the cost of added image haze. Plus, this ASUS monitor doesn't have Thunderbolt support like the BenQ, which is a downside if you want to connect a Thunderbolt laptop. That said, its USB-C port still has DisplayPort Alt Mode and 90W of power delivery, which keeps your laptop charged while you're using it.
At least the ASUS has advantages in other ways. It's very accurate before any sort of calibration, which helps if you don't want to pay extra for a full calibration and still want fantastic accuracy. It even has different picture modes for various color spaces that you may work with, from sRGB to Rec. 2020, and it displays a wide range of colors in the sRGB color space. Like the BenQ, it also gets bright enough to fight glare, which makes it a good choice if you have a well-lit editing space.
-
Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor For Graphic Design
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate120 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160Should the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV still be too much out of your price range, then check out the Dell S2725QC, which you can often get for less. It's similar for the most part to the ASUS, as it's another 4k, 27-inch monitor focused on productivity. However, there are some notable trade-offs for getting this slightly lower-end monitor. It has fewer picture modes for various color spaces, and it's a bit less accurate before calibration in its sRGB mode. This means you need to calibrate it to get the most accurate colors for content creation. It also has one fewer USB-A port and has less power delivery over USB-C. Its 65W of power may not be enough if you have a power-hungry laptop.
Regardless, it's a solid screen for content creation as it displays a wide range of colors in SDR. It's also fine if you want to use it in a room with a few lights around, as it gets bright, but reflections in sunny rooms can get distracting. Plus, its ergonomic stand and wide viewing angle help if you need to share the screen with someone else. You can also check out the Dell S2725QS if you want a similar option for a bit less, but it lacks any USB ports.
-
Best Budget Monitor For Graphic Design
EditingColor AccuracySDR PictureHDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you're looking for a simple and cheap monitor for graphic design, check out the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS. Although it's a gaming monitor, it offers good value at a low cost for a content creation monitor. One downside is that it has a lower 1440p resolution than the Dell S2725QC, so images aren't as sharp, but that's what you have to expect at this price. It also has a smaller USB hub, with only one USB-C port, so you need other ports on your computer if you want to connect devices. Its USB-C port supports DisplayPort Alt Mode to connect a laptop, but it's limited to 5W of power delivery.
What makes this a great choice for content creation in the budget category is that it's remarkably accurate before any sort of calibration. Its dedicated sRGB mode has minimal inaccuracies, with a full calibration providing little benefit. Its wide viewing angle also means the image remains consistent as you view from the sides. Unfortunately, it has limited HDR picture quality as blacks look gray. You can check out the AOC Q27G40XMN if that's important to you, but it has a worse viewing angle.
Notable Mentions
-
Apple Studio Display XDR:
The Apple Studio Display XDR is a high-end 5k display that's better for graphic design with a Mac than the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. It has features you can only access with macOS, like its extremely accurate sRGB mode. It also has a great local dimming feature that deepens blacks. However, it's very costly for what it offers, especially compared to the ASUS.
See our review -
Apple Studio Display 2026:
The Apple Studio Display 2026 is a competitor to the BenQ MA270S with the same 27-inch size and 5k resolution. The Apple is a great choice if you want something for your MacBook, as it supports Thunderbolt 5. However, it costs more than the BenQ.
See our review -
Dell S3225QC:
The Dell S3225QC is a QD-OLED that's in the same price range as the BenQ MA270S. It has deeper blacks, which is something to consider if you work in HDR. However, it risks burn-in and has a lower resolution than the BenQ.
See our review -
Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx:
The Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx is a mid-range 4k monitor that's better for HDR than the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV thanks to its Mini LED backlighting. However, you can't use local dimming on the Acer in SDR, so the SDR picture quality is similar to the ASUS, and colors are less accurate.
See our review -
Dell S2725DC:
The Dell S2725DC is an entry-level 1440p monitor that has a bigger USB hub than the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS. It's a good choice if you want to connect devices to your monitor. However, it lacks a dedicated sRGB mode, so colors aren't as accurate as on the ASUS.
See our review
Recent Updates
Jun 08, 2026:
We replaced the Dell Alienware AW2725DF with the BenQ MA270S, a dedicated content-creation monitor. We also replaced the AOC Q7G40XMN with the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS in the budget category, as the ASUS has a wider viewing angle. In the Notable Mentions, we added the Apple Studio Display 2026 and the Dell S2725DC to reflect the changes to the article.
Apr 15, 2026:
We added the Apple Studio Display XDR to the Notable Mentions.
Mar 19, 2026:
We added the Dell S2725QC for consistency with other recommendations. In the Notable Mentions, we removed the Apple Studio Display 2022 and added the Dell S2725QS.
Feb 24, 2026:
We removed the MSI G274QPF-QD as the 'Best Cheap Monitor For Graphic Design' because it's hard to find. We also removed the Dell U2725QE from the Notable Mentions.
Feb 02, 2026:
We replaced the Dell U3225QE with the Dell Alienware AW2725DF, which has better picture quality. We also replaced the AOC Q27G3XMN with the AOC Q27G40XMN due to its superior color accuracy. Lastly, we replaced the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX with the Dell U2725QE in the Notable Mentions.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best computer monitors for graphic design currently available. They're adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. The rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you'd prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all of our monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.