The best monitors for photo editing: Get picture-perfect results

Asus’ ProArt PA32DC is a pricey flagship display with amazing image quality and tons of features. It might be overkill for some photo editors but, if you want the best, this is it.

The Asus ProArt PA32DC has a 4K OLED panel. It’s among the few 4K OLED monitors on the market and, unlike less expensive OLED monitors, has a type of OLED panel with a standard RGB subpixel layout that will not cause image-quality quirks on Windows machines.

Going OLED leads to an excellent contrast ratio, but photo editors are more likely to be drawn to its color performance. This monitor can display 100 percent of sRGB, 99 percent of DCI-P3, and 98 percent of Adobe RGB. There are a few monitors that can outperform it in either DCI-P3 or Adobe RGB, but we’ve yet to test a monitor that beats it in both.

In an unusual move, this monitor has a built-in carrying handle, and the height-adjustable stand can be replaced with screw-on legs that fold flat for travel. It’s perfect for professional photographers who need to edit on-site. This is a USB-C monitor, as well, with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts of Power Delivery for charging connected devices.

Priced at $3,499, the Asus ProArt PA32DC is expensive. Most photo editors don’t need this level of performance—but this monitor is ideal if you need nearly perfect color.

The Dell U3223QE is a premium monitor with accurate color and many useful features.

This is a 32-inch 4K monitor with an IPS Black panel. IPS Black is a new type of panel with roughly double the contrast ratio of older IPS panels. The result is a richer, more lifelike image with a better sense of depth.

It’s an extremely accurate monitor with a wide color gamut that spans 100 percent of sRGB and 99 percent of DCI-P3, as well as 89 percent of Adobe RGB. Color temperature and gamma results are also on-target at default settings and can be adjusted to your preferences in the on-screen menu system.

This monitor has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and up to 95 watts of Power Delivery, which makes it ideal for use with a USB-C compatible laptop. The USB-C port connects to a built-in hub with several USB-A ports, ethernet, and DisplayPort-out.

Want a smaller monitor? Consider the Dell U2723QE. It’s a 27-inch 4K monitor with the same features as the U3223QE. Its smaller size also cuts a couple hundred dollars off the price.

The Asus ProArt PA279CV is an awesome pick for professional photo editors with less demanding workflows. It will get the job done nine times out of 10—and for less than $500.

This is a 27-inch 4K monitor with an IPS panel. It doesn’t have an amazing contrast ratio but makes up for that with color accuracy. This monitor’s default accuracy sits just a hair behind the Dell U3223QE. It also has an even sharper picture, since it packs 4K resolution into a smaller display space.

Color gamut is the price paid for, well, the price. This monitor handles 100 percent of sRGB but only 84 percent of DCI-P3 and 86 percent of Adobe RGB. That’s often fine, but it could be an issue if you edit photos for clients that use DCI-P3 or Adobe RGB as their go-to color gamut.

Despite its pricing, this monitor has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and up to 65 watts of Power Delivery for charging connected devices. The USB-C port even connects to four USB-A ports, making it a useful USB-C hub.

Most monitors sold for less than $300 are a bad fit for photo editing. The NZXT Canvas 27Q is a rare exception.

This is a 27-inch 1440p monitor with an IPS panel. The monitor’s resolution is its key weakness, as 2560×1440 can feel tight when editing modern photos. However, it’s fine if you often crop down your work.

Color performance is astounding for the price. We recorded better color accuracy from this monitor than from the Dell U3223QE or Asus ProArt PA279CV. Color gamut is good, as well, supporting 100 percent of sRGB, 97 percent of DCI-P3, and 87 percent of Adobe RGB. Its overall image quality doesn’t match these more expensive alternatives, but it’s close.

The monitor even packs a few extras. It has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate mode, and it works as a USB-C hub for two downstream USB-A ports. Power Delivery isn’t supported, however, so the USB-C port won’t charge a connected device. The monitor has an enhanced maximum refresh rate of 165Hz, making it a good choice for gaming.

This monitor has an MSRP of just $319.99 (and frequently retails for $249.99 from NZXT). That price doesn’t include a stand, which is a $40 extra. It’s a remarkable value and a good pick for photo editors on a tight budget.

Most monitors have a widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio—and that’s not always ideal for photo editing. Many photos are at least as tall as they are wide, and portrait photos are much taller than they are wide.

Enter the LG DualUp 28MQ780-B. This is a 28-inch monitor with a resolution of 2560×2880 and a 16:18 aspect ratio. It also has a monitor arm that supports turning the monitor 90 degrees for an 18:16 aspect ratio. This is a better fit for portrait photos, as it provides more vertical pixels than a 5K or 4K widescreen monitor.

The LG DualUp 28MQ780-B also delivers on color performance. It has great color accuracy and a color gamut that spans 100 percent of sRGB, 96 percent of DCI-P3, and 90 percent of Adobe RGB.

LG throws in a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 90 watts of Power Delivery for charging a connected laptop or device. The USB-C port connects to two downstream USB-A ports, providing USB-C hub functionality.

Priced at $699.99, the LG DualUp 28MQ780-B is not inexpensive but feels reasonably priced for what it offers. As for the competition, well, there isn’t any—this is the only 16:18 monitor on the market right now.

The best resolution for photo editing is the highest you can afford, which is why Apple leapt to 5K and 6K resolution for its best displays.

If you’re on a Windows computer, however, it’s often preferable to stick with 4K. Very few 5K (and higher) monitors exist for Windows computers, and Windows software often fails to make good use of extreme resolutions.

HDR is only sometimes required. While HDR photos are not uncommon, its use is less frequent than it is for video, and most photos are not ultimately viewed in HDR. Whether you need HDR will depend on whether you intend your photos to be viewed in HDR. There are stylistic considerations, too. HDR has a certain “look” that may or may not be desirable.

All the monitors on this list support HDR, and the quality of HDR goes up drastically as price increases. If you happen to do all your work in HDR, then look no further than the Asus ProArt PA32DC: It’s a top-notch HDR performer.

Ultrawide monitors aren’t the best choice for photo editing.

It all comes down to aspect ratio. Ultrawide monitors have a 21:9 aspect ratio, while most photographers work in aspect ratios somewhere between 16:9 (widescreen) and 3:2 (portrait). In general, photographers need vertical pixels more than other monitor shoppers, and that’s where ultrawide falls short.