Tag: insightful

Monitors for graphic design have some very specific requirements beyond the typical displays found in homes and offices. Graphic designers frequently work in fine detail, so sharpness and clarity are critical. Text components and fine line work should be crisp and easy to see, or you’re just asking for a headache. Color accuracy is also crucial in graphic design. Displays need to accurately depict tones and offer advanced color management because inconsistencies could cost big money in professional settings. You don’t want to wrap up their design and get printed materials made only to see that the colors don’t match the customer’s branding. The best monitors for graphic design will ensure your work meets the needs of even the most demanding clients. 

Things to consider before buying a monitors for graphic design

As with any monitor or technical device decision, there are lots of different specs and terms thrown around. It can be very confusing to wade through what matters and what doesn’t. To simplify things, when it comes to graphic design, three features are most important: screen size, resolution, and color accuracy. Things like refresh and response rate aren’t relevant to graphic design, so you don’t need to worry about those. 

Screen size

Screen size will have a big (no pun intended) impact on your workflow. While you can absolutely work in design programs on laptop screens or small external monitors, creating on a larger display can make your work more efficient and comfortable. A large monitor will allow you to see more at once, so you can scroll around less. It makes it easier to compare things when you need to because you can fit multiple canvases on a single screen. And, you won’t have to squint and crane your neck forward when working with small details.

For most graphic designers, a screen between 27 and 32 inches will be perfect. But, if you like to multitask with multiple windows open at once, or want a more immersive experience, something around 40 inches may be better. Those huge displays offer lots of screen real estate without having to worry about perfectly color matching multiple displays.

Resolution

Resolution is another essential spec to pay attention to, especially for designers and photographers. Many will say that you absolutely need a 4K monitor for graphic design, but that isn’t necessarily the case. 4K displays do provide some advantages. The detail is exceptional, which can be helpful for certain types of design work. All those pixels come in handy for displaying large versions of your work with room enough for your editing program’s tools and palettes. But, these high-res displays can also get very expensive and may be out of reach for many. 

For some types of design, or someone just starting out, 4K may be overkill. Instead, a resolution of at least 2560 by 1440 will give you a good balance between quality and price. That said, if you can afford a 4K–or higher–monitor, go

Whether you’re creating a sleek new logo for your company or a magazine cover that’s popping with bright colors and interesting shapes, graphic designers need the right kind of laptop to get the job done. The most important thing is powerful hardware. For tasks like 3D modeling, you’re going to need a powerful CPU and a good amount of RAM. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, you may need a processor with multiple cores. Another essential piece of hardware is the graphics card. This is important if you’re working with massive textures.

If you’re not sure where to begin your search, don’t worry. We’ve assembled a list of top picks. Not only are these machines graphically powerful, but they’ve also got awesome screens for those times when detail and color accuracy are paramount. We’ve also included options at different price points. So, whatever your budget may be, we’ve got something for every type of graphic designer. If you’re looking for something different, be sure to check out our comprehensive roundup of the best laptops for all purposes.

Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED – Best overall

Pros

• Beautiful 4K OLED displays

• Long battery life

• Useful DialPad tool

Cons

• Design lacks flair

• Lackluster webcam

Graphic designers need a high-quality display for their projects, which is why you should consider picking up the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED. The 4K OLED display is absolutely stunning, as it produces vibrant colors and deep blacks. It’s also a good option for those who suffer from eye strain and tension headaches. If you’re to spend hours peering into a display, it might as well be a top-quality one. The VivoBook also packs a decent punch in the processing department.

The CPU is the Ryzen 9 5900HX, which should be plenty zippy for basic graphic design needs and general use. It also has 32GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. That’s sufficient enough for multitasking or firing up a couple of applications simultaneously. There are a couple of trade-offs you should be aware of like the lackluster webcam and the temperamental fingerprint reader. Those drawbacks are fairly small, though. Overall, the VivoBook Pro is a great machine that any graphic designer would love.

Read our full Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED review

MSI GF76 Katana – Best value

Pros

• Decent CPU performance

• Interesting design with plenty of flair

• Comfortable keyboard and trackpad

Cons

• Lackluster GPU performance

• The display lacks brightness

• Audio produces less-than-stellar bass

If you’re working with an inflexible budget, the MSI GF76 Katana is the best bang for your buck. It comes with an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050Ti GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of PCle 4 SSD storage. In other words, this machine should be able to handle most design tasks with relative ease as well as everyday workloads. The GPU is a little underwhelming when running newer games, but MSI offers up to seven different configurations, so you can