lcd monitors capable of drawing price
Turn your iPad into a second display – works with Mac and PC. Luna harnesses the power of your desktop and extends your workspace onto a touchable device.
You need one of the best monitors for video editing to cut, re-sequence, and colour-grade your video masterpieces. Whether you make YouTube videos, make movies, or create reels for Instagram, you need the right tools, including the right display that can accurately reproduce your videos so that they translate well to other screens and mediums.
Using the best video editing software is just one part of the equation. You need the right monitor for the job as well. And, the right monitor needs to tick a few things off the list to be an effective video editing tool. It must have a colour accuracy of Delta E < 2 or better as well as a colour gamut of at least 95% DCI-P3, a high contrast ratio, and a higher brightness level.
Resolution is also key as more projects are produced in 4K or higher; as is HDR support if you"re working with HDR footage. Finally, you have to consider screen size, base or mount articulation, and of course, price tag.
We"ve reviewed many monitors here at Creative Bloq, and we take how we test monitors very seriously, testing everything from colour accuracy and colour spaces to design and ergonomics. To help you choose the best monitors for video editing, we gathered the top choices and put them on this list, factoring in experience levels and budgets so that there"s something on this list for everyone.
It also has just about all the ports you could need, allowing you to connect multiple sources, as well as an SD card reader, something we don’t often see on many monitors. Its multiple input ports are made better by the fact that it comes with picture-by-picture and picture-in-picture modes, allowing you to create a screen setup that delivers the most seamless workflow.
On test, we found that on top of the SW321C"s great colour spaces and accuracy, it’s also incredibly uniform across the whole screen. And, while you are admittedly paying a lot for it, the fact that it"s incredibly feature-rich means that it"s actually a great value for video editors.
Content creators and video editors will love its superb factory-calibrated colour accuracy DeltaE < 2 as well as its 100% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 colour gamuts. Meanwhile, game designers will appreciate its 120Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium Pro support. On top of those, you"re also getting USB-C connectivity with 90W power delivery.
Designed for creative professionals doing pro work with no scope for errors, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X might just be the ultimate monitor for video editing thanks to its unmatched performance and rare self-calibration feature. We found it to be a truly superlative display. The only downside is that it has a price to match, which is really the only reason why it isn’t topping this list.
Despite its uninspired design, there’s a lot that video editors will love here. Its range of broadcast and cinema presets – including Rec. 2020 and DCI-P3 with 98% colour coverage — for one make it an excellent choice for most types of creatives. We also found the colour accuracy to be top-notch during our testing, as noted in our Eizo ColorEdge CG319X review. And, the wider DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution works beautifully for filmmakers shooting in this format, letting them see the original footage at 1:1 pixels no matter what format you might switch it to during editing.
Novice and casual filmmakers and vloggers will appreciate the value the LG 32UN880 offers. It’s among the most affordable 4K monitors out there that offer 95% DCI-P3 colour coverage, HDR10 support, and brilliant picture quality, as well as a decently sized screen. It also comes with USB-C connectivity and a hub for all your video editing tools.
However, it isn’t just for beginners. Experienced editors looking for a more versatile setup will appreciate its extremely flexible mount and stand. Its C-Clamp and One Click Mount combo not only offers a more minimalist setup but also allows the monitor to move virtually whichever way you want. It lets you extend up to 180mm, adjust the height up to 130mm, tilt up and down 25 degrees, and pivot up to 90 degrees. The arm also swivels up to 280 degrees, which comes in handy especially when you’re in a studio setup.
As a video editing display, the BenQ DesignVue PD3420Q truly delivers. It boasts 100% Rec.709, 100% sRGB, and 98% P3 colour gamuts and great factory-calibrated colour accuracy of Delta E ≤ 3 out of the box that video editors, designers, and graphic artists need. To simplify workflow and keep the focus on its users" creative process, it also comes with extras like its KVM switch, the BenQ Hotkey Puck G2, and the DualView mode that lets you display your work in two different colour modes side-by-side for comparison.
Of course, its 21:9 aspect ratio is a key factor as well. Not that 1440p resolution is obsolete, but 4K has now become a standard for video editing, one of the reasons being that it offers more screen real estate. To make up for not offering that, the PD3420Q gives you an ultrawide panel so you can spread out and make all your tools handy during editing sessions.
The Acer ConceptD CP3271K’s over-$1,000/£1,000 price tag may be a hard pill to swallow, even for consumers who aren’t looking for cheap options. However, as we noted in ourAcer ConceptD CP3271K review, this superb piece of kit boasts a few premium features that make it worth the price for creative professionals.
That sweet 4K resolution on a 27-inch panel spot means it’s the perfect combination of screen real estate, smaller footprint, and perfectly-sized visuals. Meanwhile, the 400 nits of brightness, 99% sRGB and 90% DCI-P3 colour gamuts, and Delta-E accuracy of less than 1 make it an excellent tool for content creators. In addition, we found its colour space coverage claims to be spot-on and its colour and brightness uniformity good, if not exactly exceptional. And, naturally, we appreciate the inclusion of the shading hood.
You don’t need to exclusively film footage in HDR to take advantage of a true HDR display, but you do need to be a proper pro to justify getting one. HDR displays aren’t the cheapest, and the Asus ProArt PA32UCG-K’s steep price tag proves this. However, if you do have deep pockets, its DisplayHDR 1400 and 1,600 nits of peak brightness will blow you away.
Making it all the more worth your money is its Delta E < 1 colour difference and extensive colour space – apart from its 100%sRGB and 99.5% Adobe RGB, it also boasts 98% DCI-P3 and 85% Rec.2020 gamuts. The panel itself utilises smaller LEDs that offer 1152 local dimming zones for higher contrast and deep blacks. There’s plenty of input ports on hand as well, allowing you to spread out and really immerse yourself in your creative process. And, naturally, that 4K resolution takes care of displaying impeccable details.
While it isn"t a 5K2K display like the PS341WU, it comes with its strengths. Content creators will find its 99% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 colour gamuts most useful. Meanwhile, those that work with HDR content will appreciate VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification. Plus, its pixel-per-inch ratio of 110.93 is just the ticket for making those visuals sharp and those texts comfortably readable.
While we haven"t completed our review of Apple"s 6K display, we already know it"s a beast, aiming to be closer to a monitor in the pro film production sense, rather than a monitor in the "computer screen" sense we"ve been using it here. It"s intended to give you as close to perfect playback as you can get for the money (and, bear in mind, it"s a lotof money). You"ve got a resolution of 6016 x 3384, which is enough for many 6K formats (though not quitethe 6K full frame recording of a RED camera). Added to that is an incredible HDR peak brightness of up to 1,600 nits, with a typical brightness of 1,000 nits – and there are 576 individual dimming zones for backlight control, so contrast will be simply colossal.
In terms of colours, there are specific reference modes for DCI P3, sRGB, NTSC, BT.709, and many more. That includes a reference mode for "Apple display", which will make it match a MacBook Pro for brightness, so you get a consistent look if you have them side by side. There"s the option of a nanotexture effect on the screen to reduce reflectivity as low as it goes for monitors like this, too.
It comes with one Thunderbolt 3 port (meaning it can go at the end of a Thunderbolt chain, but can"t be a Thunderbolt hub), plus three USB-C ports for connecting accessories. The downside to all this is that it"s extremely expensive, and the price our widgets are pulling in here are just for the display… the official stand costs a further $999 / £949 / AU$1,699. You can also get a VESA mount adapter, if you prefer. If you"re interested in having an Apple monitor, you might also want to check out Apple"s latest display – see our Apple Studio Display review for more details.Is a 4K monitor good for video editing?Resolution isn’t everything when it comes to choosing the right monitor for video editing. But, if you’re hoping to produce content in UHD, you’ll need to be able to see your work in its native resolution. So, having a monitor capable of 4K resolution isn’t just good. For most video editors, it’s necessary. Just keep in mind that you’ll need a computer powerful enough to be able to deliver that high resolution content to a 4K monitor.Are curved monitors good for video editing?It’s not necessary to have a curved monitor to do great work on your video editing projects. But, curved monitors do offer a few advantages. Since they make the whole screen equidistant from your eyes, they’re easy to work with since you won’t have to strain as much to see the corners of your screen. And, many curved monitors come in a wider 21:9 aspect ratio, meaning you’ll have more screen real estate and can work on projects in their native resolution while still having instant access to your editing tools. However, you do have more limited viewing angles compared to flat displays. If you need to show your work to colleagues, they might not see an accurate representation of your project.Is Hz important for video editing?While refresh rate is crucial for video editing, just about every contemporary monitor comes with at least a 60Hz refresh rate. And, considering that most video is shot at 30 or 60 fps, having a faster refresh rate won’t make much of a difference. Of course, if you’re also doing animation or are hoping to game on that same display, having a speedier refresh rate becomes a bit more of a priority.
Intel, the Intel logo, Core and Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.NVIDIA and Quadro are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. DisplayPort™ and the DisplayPort™ logo are trademarks owned by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA®) in the United States and other countries. USB Type-C® and USB-C® are trademarks of USB Implementers Forum.
Who this is for: A dual-monitor setup is usually the best option if you want to have a bunch of app windows open at once. But an ultrawide model might be a better choice if you need a ton of unbroken horizontal space, or you don’t want monitor bezels in between windows.
Why we like it: The Dell P3421W has a sturdy adjustable stand, lots of ports (including a USB-C port that can handle power, display, and data over a single cable), and a three-year warranty. And it has a built-in KVM switch that allows you to easily swap your keyboard, mouse, and video between two computers. The 1440p display has a 60 Hz refresh rate, which is great for typical office work, web browsing, and casual gaming.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: If you use your display in direct sunlight, this monitor might not be bright enough for you. It can also provide 65 W of power over USB-C, but some laptops require more. If you have a laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU or an Intel Core i7 processor, you might need to keep the laptop plugged in to a separate charger or use a Thunderbolt dock that can provide the extra power.
Most ultrawide monitors are also curved. This design helps minimize viewing-angle problems—when you’re sitting centered, things on the far edges of the screen won’t look as washed out as they would on a flat display of a similar width. But this also makes ultrawide monitors inaccurate for precision tasks requiring straight lines, such as drawing, photo editing, or similar design work.
Whether you’re just starting in digital creation, want to add a twist to your visual thinking or looking to improve your digital expression, Wacom One delivers a great experience. It comes with all the essentials to spice up your digital life. There’s the natural pen feel on the 13.3” screen, the included creative software – even the ability to connect to certain Android devices. And it’s compatible with leading pen brands too. Open up new possibilities with Wacom One.
Sketch, draw and paint directly on screen and enjoy natural surface friction with minimal reflection. Imagine a pen that uses software to make it the tool you want it to be: paintbrush, pen, marker, pencil, chalk or eraser. The only limit is your imagination.
With the familiar feeling of pen on paper, Wacom One lets you capture ideas, create mind-maps, draw diagrams and more, before sharing them easily with friends and colleagues.
With Wacom One, you get more than just a creative pen display. You have everything you need to get off to a flying start. Our included Bonus Pack is ready and waiting for you. And conveniently, Wacom One is compatible with your computer, as well as certain Android tablets and phones.
This product works with devices capable of running the latest version of Chrome OS. Google is not responsible for the operation of this product or its compliance with safety requirements. Chromebook is a trademark of Google LLC.
With Collaboard people collaborate in real-time by drawing on the whiteboard, adding sticky notes, documents, images, videos and much more. People visualize their ideas, brainstorm, create mind maps and much more on a shared board.
Whether you need to create a presentation or explainer video, guide or task others, explain any topic or design a project, this one’s for you. You can quickly share the results of your thinking with others or collaborate on a project with a group.
Kami transforms any existing document into canvas for expression or an interactive learning experience. Work collaboratively in real-time and ignite creativity with an array of annotation tools accessible with your Wacom pen display and Wacom pen tablet.
Limnu offers a full-featured online whiteboard with the best collaborative drawing surface on the market. People know how to use it because it looks and feels like a physical whiteboard and yet it is fast and fluid with remote participants.
Founded by educators, Pear Deck makes it easy for teachers to build and launch interactive presentations within Google and Microsoft classroom tools, helping students engage with their teacher, classmates, and new ideas, every day.
Get ready to create, convert, edit, sign, and draw on any PDF across desktop, mobile, and web. People everywhere are taking charge of their document solutions with Foxit PDF Editor, and now you can too. Use Foxit with your Wacom device to quickly customize, mark up, sign, and manage your PDF documents. Subscription length
Used to working with pen and paper? Well, there"s a new digital world waiting for you. When working on a pen display, your pen can act as different pencils and brushes in a whole range of colors – bundled software ensures you can easily change color or brush size, all with the same pen. And the fact you can easily edit and update work makes Wacom One the ideal product for budding creatives and keen note takers.
Add Wacom One to your Android smartphone* and you basically add an extra digital canvas to your favorite tool. Ideal for working on your notes, editing your latest images, or whatever other use you need more space for. Plus, the pens of Wacom One and your Android can be used on both devices.
There are more than 35 years of learning and innovation behind Wacom One, each one working towards the vision of enabling digital creativity. It’s here, and it’s for everyone. Switch on.
Eliminate smudges and reduce friction between screen and hand. The drawing experience never felt so good with the Wacom Drawing Glove. Simply draw with confidence.
Designed with eco-friendly recycled materials, the Wacom Drawing Glove allows you to draw with the freedom of knowing you are helping the world we live in. Recycled Polyester and Spandex offer breathability, stretch and durability for a comfortable fit. Feel comfortable drawing anything, and know that you’re contributing to a better environment.
Use the Wacom Drawing Glove and enjoy a natural drawing experience. Say goodbye to unnecessary smudges, fingerprints and minimize friction from hand to screen or pen tablet. And with everything clearly visible on screen, nothing comes between you and your creation. Now, you’re free to draw comfortably for hours.
Wacom Drawing Glove’s unique fingerless design and seamless edge allows for a natural working experience. Focus on your drawing and access touch functionality on screen as well as the keyboard. Designed to work perfectly whether you"re left or right-handed. Sound good? You’ll find it feels good too.
Humidity: 30 to 90% RH (non-condensing) (Maximum storage humidity is 90% at a temperature of 45 deg. C, and maximum storage temperature is 60 deg. C at a humidity of 30%)
Specifically designed nibs for use with Wacom One Pen (CP91300B2Z). These Standard Nibs come in a set of 5, and can be easily attached to the tip of your Wacom One Pen to replace worn nibs.
The Wacom One replacement pen is designed for use Wacom One creative pen display (DTC133). The pen is cordless, battery-free with 4096 levels of pressure and a programmable side-switch to put shortcuts at your fingertips.
Copyright © 2018-2022 Wacom. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used with their permission.
Line weight will fluctuate depending on personal preference, but we recommend the “light and thin” option to start. You can always adjust this later. You can also adjust your drawing weight and line thickness by adding a pen cover or a small weight to the pen stylus.
For more on pen tablet and monitor sizes, refer to the “Match your hand movements with the movements on the screen” section in the article“Must-Know Tips to Improve Your Tablet Drawing Experience!”
Wacom’s Intuos series is a high-quality line of pen tablets that covers a wide range from beginners to advanced users. The pen is about the same thickness as a mechanical pencil or ballpoint pen, so it fits comfortably in your hand. Additionally, there is no need to insert batteries into the pen, making it light and easy to handle.
The benefit of the Wacom brand is that large electronic retailers often have samples displayed in stores that you can try out before purchasing them. After you do buy one, you can then download the drawing software you prefer,such asPainter Essentials 8orClip Studio Paint PRO. In the case of the Wacom Intuos S, which does not support Bluetooth, the drawing software that can be downloaded is limited, but the purchase cost of the pen tablet is cheaper. If you have already purchased drawing software, we recommend choosing this pen tablet option.
It has drawing capabilities as well as pen pressure sensitivity. The pen tablet’s drawing surface is very smooth, and the pen tip sinks into the pen as you apply pressure. The depression in the tablet’s surface results in a strong pen pressure deflection.
The Intuos Pro pen tablet model has 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity. This is double the level of the standard Intuos model and allows for smoother drawing. Its high-precision allows for nuanced line work, such as calligraphy or comic book inking. With an Intuos Pro pen tablet, you can adjust line strength and depth using pen pressure. It also supports pen tilt, so you can sketch using the side of the pen stylus in drawing programs that also support this. This is a tablet that an artist of any level would feel confident in purchasing.
The surface of the tablet has a moderate amount of friction, mimicking how it feels when you draw on paper. This model also has wireless Bluetooth capabilities, which helps keep the area around your desk less cluttered, even if the tablet itself is large.
This tablet supports pen tilt which is very rare for a tablet of this price. This pen tilt is a bit trickier than the Apple Pencil and other stylus, so it might take you some time to get used to it. You might not notice it when doing normal pen strokes.
The stylus pen comes with two side buttons and the tablet itself features 8 buttons, which you can use to set your own shortcuts. Download the driver to customize and optimize your workflow. When you install the driver and set it, you can also change the orientation of the tablet to work best with you, whether you are right-handed or left-handed.
It has a low price point without sacrificing the drawing comfort and quality of a Wacom pen tablet. The parallax between the pen tip and the cursor is minimal, which allows for accurate drawing. The pen slides with ease, producing long natural pen strokes. It has 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and supports pen tilt so you can draw intuitively. The pen itself is also durable, so you don’t have to worry about applying force to it when drawing. Its cables are bundled into a single cable, with the end of the cable split into multiple plugs, which helps to reduce desk clutter. Overall, its structure is very solid and durable.
However, it may be necessary to additionally customize it. For example, there is no button on the main unit to register shortcuts. If you want to access these buttons, you need the optional ExpressKey Remote or other handheld device to do so. Furthermore, it does have a stand but is attached to the body of the tablet, and the angle is fixed at 19 degrees. If you purchase the optional stand, you can change the angle anywhere from 19 to 68 degrees. So, if you are particular about your drawing set-up, you may need to make additional investments.
The screen color accuracy isn’t as good as Wacom’s top models, but it is still more than enough for hobbyists. If you want to draw color illustrations professionally, however, we recommend the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 model.
The Wacom One is a monitor tablet developed and sold by Wacom. Price-wise, it is one of the more affordable of its type, even for first-time digital artists.
While this affordability comes at the cost of slightly lower image quality and color accuracy, a slight delay in strokes and 4096 levels of pen pressure, the tilt detection and pressure are very accurate, allowing for linework comparable to high-end models.
The tablet can be connected to Android devices as well, and with a smartphone and drawing app that supports pen pressure, you can start drawing with a monitor tablet even if you don’t own a PC.
While high-end stylus pens such as the pro pen are unavailable, the pre-packaged Wacom One Pen is exceptionally lightweight, easy to use, and doesn’t need recharging. In addition to the Wacom One Pen, stylus pens with EMR technology from renowned art supply manufacturers suchasStaedlercan be used, allowing you to experiment with a variety of pens.
This tablet doesn’t cost a lot but has everything you need to create at a professional level and even has full lamination on the screen. However, the cable is located on the right side (on the side opposite from the shortcut keys) so it might be hard using a mouse together with this tablet.
It feels good when you draw on this tablet and it responds in the way you want. The smooth line drawing is nice, but when you try to make more varied strokes you can see how the tapering might leave something to be desired. You can customize the 8 shortcut key buttons and the roller wheel. The keys respond to even light touch and the wheel has a satisfying feeling when you rotate it.
The pen has two side buttons, similar to a Wacom stylus but does not have anything on the back end. This will be important for people who are used to being able to use the back of the pen as an eraser.
Included with this display tablet is a stand that you place the tablet on top of and it did not budge while we were testing it. Also included with this tablet are a glove and screen cloth. This might be the tablet for you if you are looking for a display tablet with the right specs while on a budget.
This is Wacom’s tablet PC. Drawing software is not included, so you need to purchase it separately. It runs Windows, so you can use graphic software such as Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, and SAI. It sports 8192 levels of pen pressure and has excellent responsivity. This tablet PC is highly recommended for those transitioning from paper to digital as it also supports pen tilt, so if you sketch with a program that also supports this feature, such as Clip Studio Paint, you can draw digitally using the side of the pen as if you were drawing traditionally with pencil and paper. Drawing with Clip Studio Paint’s watercolor brush also makes it easy to create shades that match pen pressure, making drawing incredibly intuitive.
Getting a high-end model like this allows you to draw illustrations with a lot of layers or comics with many pages without worrying if your PC can handle the workload. The 15.6-inch model weighs about 2.10 kg or 4.6 lbs, which is a bit heavier than other tablet PCs, but still a good choice if you want to carry it outside and draw.
The Surface Pro isn’t a tablet PC solely for drawing. Rather, it is a tablet PC that you can also draw with. By purchasing optional peripherals, you can tailor it according to your needs.
Word and Excel come with this product so if you get the keyboard as an add-on, then you can also use this device for business to create documents and reports. On the other hand, you can also download drawing software and get the Surface Slim Pen 2 as an option to take advantage of the pen pressure functionality and get to drawing.
Surface Pro works well as a drawing tablet because combined with the Surface Slim Pen 2, you can enjoy 4096 levels of pen pressure as well as tilt to get an experience not that different from traditional drawing.
The original kickstand attached to the device is well made and helpful for artists because it allows you to angle your device as needed without having to purchase any additional peripherals. Microsoft also took into consideration those who draw while at a desk when designing the Surface series.TheSurface GO, for example, has a 10 inch display, which is a good size for drawing on the go. The specifications for it aren’t as high end as the Surface Pro, but if you want to keep your start-up costs low, it is a good option to consider.
This powerful tablet comes with the S-Pen, which boasts 4,096 levels of pen pressure sensitivity. Take advantage of this LCD pen tablet for amazing variations in your brushstrokes. The S-Pen is a slim stylus, much like a pencil, making it easy to grip.
The main difference between this tablet and the iPad with Apple pencil is that you can use the cursor to hover over elements on screen to bring up menus. This means changing brush size, shape, and more will be easier while you are drawing.
The Galaxy Tab S8 series uses the same digital pen technology (EMR) as Wacom. Response speed has been improved 30% compared to the Galaxy Tab S7. This tablet is great for drawing lines smoothly and quickly. It is compatible with Wacom’s Electro Magnetic Resonance (EMR) technology so you can even use other styluses like the Hi-uni DIGITAL for Wacom, sold separately.
There is a storage area on the back of the tablet to safely place your S-Pen. It will stay in place because the storage compartment is magnetic and will also charge the pen. The S-Pen allows you to perform “air actions” that are customizable gestures with your pen. Press down the S-Pen button while doing the action to perform these shortcuts.
Clip Studio Paint comes pre-installed on the Galaxy Tab and you can use it for free for six months. Try it out if you are curious about transitioning to a tablet for drawing or just want to try out Clip Studio Paint.
Take advantage of Companion mode in Clip Studio Paint and use your smartphone as a handheld shortcut remote when you connect it to your Galaxy Tab via Wi-Fi. Take advantage of having your controls offscreen to make full use of the 12.4 inch canvas the screen provides.
The color gamut and parallax aren’t as good as the iPad Air, but this doesn’t interfere with drawing, and overall, its cost-performance ratio is high. The same Apple Pencil can be used on either model, so both devices feel the same when drawing on them. It also supports the Smart Keyboard.
The cheapest model will have the least amount of storage capacity, but if you use a drawing software like Clip Studio Paint that offers cloud storage, you can draw without worrying about space. Also, please be aware that there is a risk that OS upgrades might eventually be phased out.
The Apple Pencil has excellent line tracking and draws smoothly on the 10.9-inch iPad Air. It also supports pen tilt, so if you sketch with a program that also supports pen tilt, such as Clip Studio Paint, you can draw digitally using the side of the pencil as if you were drawing traditionally with pencil and paper. Apple Pencil pairing can be set up by Bluetooth and the stylus charges from the magnet on the side of the tablet, making it extremely simple to use. The Apple Pencil produces lines that are the thickness of a pencil, and despite being heavier than one, it is still easy to use. There are no variations of the pen body and nib (as of April 2022).
The combination of the iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil is extremely smooth, and it is now even simpler than ever to use. It can now be attached to the iPad Pro via magnet, which allows it to both pair and charge. However, this makes grip customization tricky as it might prevent it from being paired or charged. Because of this, there are now some grips that leave the area that connects to the iPad unobstructed, so we recommend looking into those if you want a customized grip for your Apple Pencil.
The iPad Pro is bigger than the iPad Air, but still a good portable size for using it around the house or in a cafe. It has a large screen for a tablet that gives a nice, big drawing surface. The specs of the iPad Pro are good enough to be used in professional settings. There are professional illustrators and manga artists who create works only with iPad Pro.
Although the price point for a Wacom tablet is higher compared to many other manufacturer’s tablets, pen refills and stylus replacements are readily available and easy to buy. It is also safe in terms of maintenance, allowing the tablet to be used for a long time before it needs replacing. It’s hard not to go with a top brand and leader in drawing tablets!
The Surface Pro and the iPad Pro are also available to try at many consumer electronics retailers. However, they may be located in different sections of the store, as apple and windows products are usually separated. At some stores, you can even draw with software such as Clip Studio Paint. However, unlike a drawing tablet, it is not a device developed exclusively for drawing, so even if you can use a pen with it, some stores may not offer this option.
Unlike drawing with a pencil on paper, a monitor tablet is made up of multiple panel layers. These layers cause a gap between the physical pen tip position and the digital line input location. This is the most common cause of the inability to draw lines when drawing with a pen monitor for the first time. You may be able to improve the situation by getting used to your monitor tablets particular parallax or by calibrating your pen’s position.
There are many computer monitors out there, and all seem to have similar specifications. It can be hard to find a clear answer to what’s the best monitor for art and graphic design.
This is a quick comparison of my favorite monitors for artists and designers. More picks are in the overview below, such as value picks and EIZO models.
With a surprisingly high-quality picture – deep color saturation, great accuracy, strong contrast and brightness, and exceptional sharpness – the LG 27UL500 UltraFine computer monitor looks much better than some monitors costing way more money.
The only monitor that can rival the Apple Pro Display above in terms of color fidelity, the EIZO CG279X is the perfect choice for professional artists and photographers who need absolute color accuracy, brightness, and contrast – and for a much lower price.
A truly professional caliber monitor, the EIZO ColorEdge has a startlingly beautiful screen with such depth and energy that any image will show brilliantly.
It is very easy to do the most detailed work, make the most minute and subtle adjustments and fixes, and see the effect of any retouching or editing work before submitting or printing a piece.
Still an expensive monitor, the EIZO CG279X ColorEdge Professional 27” Color Graphics Monitor is an absolute necessity for top-level commercial artists and illustrators, photographers, and animators, and it is, at that level, an amazing value.
Surprisingly inexpensive for a professional monitor with this kind of over-engineering and this level of performance, the EIZO FlexScan EV2785 is fully up to the needs of even the most demanding commercial or fine artist.
With full 4K UHD resolution, superb contrast, and brightness, this EIZO FlexScan look noticeably better than even the best, less expensive monitors that are designed for more normal consumer use, and like other EIZO monitors, it is designed for long work sessions with a minimum of fatigue or eye strain.
Even at almost 1,200 dollars, the EIZO FlexScan EV2785 27″ Professional Color Graphics Monitor is an easy recommendation for the best value in a truly professional monitor for artists.
A big, bold monitor with super high resolution and bright, beautiful colors, the EIXZO EV3285FX is a favorite among professionals, and it’s easy to see why.
But the EIZO FlexScan is so popular among professional artists, illustrators, animators, photographers and video editors not just because of the accuracy and control they get, but because it is designed for long, detail-intensive work sessions – anti-flicker technology, high refresh rate, auto-brightness sensor, anti-glare screen and blue-light filters all provide maximum comfort and minimum eye strain.
Another superb monitor from a company that clearly knows commercial and fine artists and our needs, the EIZO EV3285FX FlexScan Professional 31.5″ Color Graphics Monitor is the best truly professional large format computer display for artists on the market today.
It seems like some of the biggest and most well-known manufacturers of computers, monitors, and accessories are starting to suffer from issues over lower quality and reliability recently, and their latest lines and models just aren’t what they used to be.
Their latest 4K monitors are absolutely superb in performance, material quality, construction, and reliability. And BenQ is already famous for offering amazing value for the money.
While I would normally be a little wary of a computer monitor billed as a multi-media display, with obviously a lot of engineering and resources put into speakers and sound, it is clear that the same engineering has led to a monitor that has everything even the most serious or high-level artist or animator might need – and, somehow, at a true bargain price for this level of equipment.
A big, bright, high-resolution screen that can be worked on for long periods of time without fatigue or eye strain, the BenQ EW3280U 32-inch 4K UHD Eye Care Monitor with IPS Switching is the best large format computer monitor for artists on the market today and the best value.
With exceptional brightness, contrast, resolution, color depth, and color accuracy all immediately obvious the moment you look at it, and more and more obvious the longer you work, the Dell Ultrasharp also clearly shows how certain great monitors with the same specifications as others, can somehow look and work much better.
While it is not the least expensive computer monitor on the market, the Dell Ultrasharp is worth the money and more – a truly premium product in terms of material quality, workmanship, and performance, and more than sufficient for all levels and kinds of art production, from amateur to serious professional. It is also a perfect monitor for the art student or newcomer to growing into.
But all of that cannot possibly prepare you for the experience of seeing or working on the Apple Pro Display XDR – the life and depth of images, the breathtaking beauty, and the way you can see and better work on every single aspect of your art.
In fact, if you have ever made a mistake on a piece of art and not noticed it until after you had professional prints made (or, more upsettingly, have submitted the work to a client!), well, I daresay it wouldn’t be possible with this screen – you would see the mistake straight away.
But you also see the beauty, quality, and skill of your work and your own talent, in all its glory, and that is one of the things I love most about the Apple Pro Display XDR. It is such a stunning monitor and makes my artworks look so good that I always end up feeling like a better artist – and, somehow, I think this makes me a better artist.
Now, is it worth almost six grand? Yes, absolutely! Whether you (or I) can afford it or not, well that’s another question… But don’t forget you’ll also need a Pro Display Stand, which is not included and costs more than most other monitors in my guide!
The high resolution offered by 4K monitors allows for a level of precision in fine detail work not possible even a few years ago. The color fidelity that comes from IPS (In-Plane Switching, which improves a screen’s color fidelity and visibility), along with other technologies, lets you see what you’re doing with color choices, contrasts, and complements, as well as very subtle gradation and shading.
So while specifications and the latest technologies are certainly important, just as important is the quality of the components, construction, and graphic design elements and, of course, a beautiful, bright, accurate, and stable display.
After looking at and testing lots and lots of monitors and talking to friends, colleagues, and other artists and graphic designers, I have put together this guide, intended to make sure you find the best computer monitor currently available for commercial artists, fine artists, animators and illustrators, professional and serious amateur photographers.
All these monitors are fully compatible with all platforms and current hardware, so if you’re running Apple macOS, Windows, Linux, or are on Chromebook, they will work for you.
It comes down to what’s important to you and what you can afford. All of the monitors in this guide for best computer displays for artists have great color and resolution, depth, life, and light, but they look better as you go up in price.
These are all great computer monitors for artists, though, and whichever one you buy will have the color fidelity, brightness, and contrast, and resolution you need, will be a joy to look at and to use, will make you a better artist and improve your work, and will offer the best value you can get for the money.
A good monitor for art has a 4K UHD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), uses IPS Screen technology, and delivers high brightness and color gamut for reliable color accuracy. It also uses technologies to reduce your eye strain and fatigue. I recommend monitors from EIZO, for example, Eizo EV3285 4K Ultra-Slim Monitor or EIZO ColorEdge CS2731 27″ IPS LCD Monitor.
From my experience, a 27″ or 32″ 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) IPS monitor with high brightness and color gamut is best for design. I recommend monitors from EIZO, for example, Eizo EV3285 4K Ultra-Slim Monitor or EIZO ColorEdge CS2731 27″ IPS LCD Monitor.
One is that the best monitors help you learn – and, believe me, you are never too old, too experienced, too knowledgeable, or too good an artist to learn!
Really seeing exactly how colors interact with each other – when the colors themselves and their slight shifts and changes are perfectly represented – allows us to understand better color theory and practical usage of colors in our artwork.
The same is true with detail. When we see exactly how textures, fine lines, and the tiniest details affect the object and the overall composition – in terms of space, perspective and dimensions, balance and relationship, color and light – we learn more about composition, representation, and much more.
I hope my guide helped you to choose your new monitor for your design work and you will have a lot of fun designing, illustrating and painting your creative ideas!
Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am an artist, illustrator, founder of Art Side of Life®, and Top Teacher on Skillshare. Since 2009 I"ve worked as an illustrator, character designer, art director, and branding specialist focusing on illustration, storytelling, concepts, and animation. I believe that we are all creative in infinite numbers of ways, so I"ve made it my mission to teach you everything I know and help either wake up or develop your creative genius. Learn more about me.