If you're a graphic designer, one of the most important pieces in your setup is the monitor. This is what allows you to properly work on and edit your content. 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. With this in mind, you'll want to get something that displays a wide range of colors for the color space you're working with, like sRGB or Rec. 2020. If you aren't planning on calibrating the monitor, you'll also want it to have accurate colors before any sort of calibration.
There are other factors you may want to consider, including the screen specs. 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 more expensive 5k monitors you can get. You may also want to think about which inputs the monitor offers in case you want to connect devices directly to it.
We've bought and tested more than 380 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.
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Best Monitor For Graphic Design
Editing9.3Color Accuracy9.2SDR Picture10HDR Picture9.4Brightness7.2Office8.3Size27"Panel 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 enhancements, 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. 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. However, 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.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor For Graphic Design
Editing9.0Color Accuracy9.5SDR Picture10HDR Picture9.4Brightness6.6Office7.0Size27"Panel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate360 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you want stunning picture quality from an OLED, but you don't have the budget for a premium model like the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM, look into the Dell Alienware AW2725DF. While it has a 27-inch screen like the ASUS, the main difference is that it has a lower resolution, so images are less detailed, and text isn't as sharp. It has fewer productivity features as well, as it doesn't support DisplayPort Alt Mode to display an image from a laptop. That said, it still has four total USB ports to which you can connect your devices, which is great if you don't have any ports available on your laptop.
Besides the differences in features, the Dell has a similar picture quality to the ASUS. It also uses a QD-OLED panel with similar premium quality. It displays a wide range of colors, and the advantage of getting it for graphic design is that it's remarkably accurate before calibration, so you won't have to spend more on a full calibration. If you can't find this monitor available in your region, the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG is another great choice, but it's less accurate before calibration.
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Best Mid-Range Monitor For Graphic Design
Editing7.7Color Accuracy8.9SDR Picture6.9HDR Picture5.5Brightness7.3Office8.5Size27"Panel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate60 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you're worried about the risk of burn-in that OLEDs have, or the Dell Alienware AW2725DF is out of your price range, the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV is a good mid-range alternative. It's different from the Dell because it has a higher 4k resolution, so content is more detailed, but it has worse overall picture quality. It has a terrible local dimming feature and disappointing contrast, so blacks look gray, and there's distracting haloing around bright objects if you use the local dimming feature. This means it's a bad choice for editing content in dark rooms, but it still performs well in bright rooms.
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 you 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. Plus, it has a few productivity features, including a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and 90W of power delivery, which is great if you want to quickly connect a laptop.
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Best Budget Monitor For Graphic Design
Editing8.0Color Accuracy9.0SDR Picture7.9HDR Picture8.1Brightness8.9Office7.3Size27"Panel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you're on a tight budget and want something that offers good value, check out the AOC Q27G40XMN. It's fairly different from the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV because it has a lower 1440p resolution, resulting in less detailed images and text. It also has fewer features as it lacks a USB hub, so you can't connect any devices directly to the monitor, which is a trade-off for getting the cheaper option.
Despite this, it has several advantages in terms of picture quality. It has a higher native contrast ratio, so blacks are deep. It features local dimming, which further improves picture quality, especially for editing content in HDR. It even gets brighter than the ASUS, making it a better choice for working in well-lit rooms. Additionally, it features an accurate sRGB mode and displays a wide range of colors. The downside of this monitor is that it's only available in the US, so if you can't find it, the AOC Q27G3XMN is another option that performs similarly. However, the Q27G3XMN has a red tint before calibration when using certain settings, which isn't an issue the Q27G40XMN has.
Notable Mentions
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Apple Studio Display:
The Apple Studio Display is a 5k monitor that has made-for-Mac features, like an extremely accurate sRGB mode. While it doesn't have as good picture quality as the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM, it's something to consider if you want to edit content with a Mac.
See our review -
Dell S3225QC:
The Dell S3225QC is a QD-OLED that's in the same price range as the Dell Alienware AW2725DF. The S3225QC has a higher 4k resolution for more detailed images. However, it's less accurate before calibration.
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 -
ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS:
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS is an entry-level 1440p monitor with accurate colors. It has a few more perks than the AOC Q27G40XMN, like a USB-C port. However, it has worse picture quality than the AOC because it lacks a local dimming feature.
See our review
Recent Updates
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.
Dec 17, 2025:
We made several changes to reflect the current market and for consistency with other recommendations. We replaced the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX and the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS with the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and the AOC Q27G3XMN, as they have better picture quality, and we replaced the Dell U2725QE with the more accurate Dell U3225QE. In the Notable Mentions, we removed the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx and the Dell P2425H, and added the Dell S3225QC, the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx, the EX321UX, and the XG27ACS.
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.