Resolution, refresh and the room you sit in

The person at the studio desk

You judge skin tones, brand colours and print proofs by eye, so the screen has to tell the truth. Speed and gaming extras matter far less than coverage, consistency and a sensible calibration routine.

Gamut: sRGB, DCI-P3, Adobe RGB

sRGB is the standard for the web and most phone screens; a monitor with about 99% coverage is enough for online work. DCI-P3 is wider and matters for video, HDR delivery and Apple devices. Adobe RGB reaches further into greens and cyans and matters for print. Choose by destination: aim for 95% or more of Adobe RGB if you print, and at least 95% of DCI-P3 for video grading.

Delta E and calibration

ΔE measures the gap between the colour you asked for and the one the screen shows. Under 2 is very hard to see. Look for a factory calibration report supplied in the box. Better still is hardware calibration, found on the BenQ SW271C and the EIZO ColorEdge CS2740, where a colorimeter writes corrections inside the monitor itself. With any other screen, use a colorimeter such as a Calibrite or Datacolor Spyder to build an ICC profile, and repeat the process about once a month.

Resolution and size

A 27-inch 4K panel reaches about 163 ppi and shows fine detail well. The Apple Studio Display goes further, with a 5120×2880 resolution at roughly 218 ppi, wide P3 colour and 600 nits of brightness, which makes it a strong match for a Mac. For video editing, 4K gives you a 1:1 view of UHD footage with room around it for timelines.

Uniformity and coating

A screen can cover a wide gamut and still look patchy in the corners. Uniformity compensation, offered by professional lines, evens that out. IPS panels remain the creative default because of their stable viewing angles. VA panels shift colour off-axis and make poor editing screens. A matte coating reduces reflections; glossy looks punchier but demands a controlled room.

The room

Paint the wall behind the screen a neutral grey, keep the window to your side and use a 6500 K bias light. For print work, set the brightness to about 100–120 cd/m², and use a shading hood if the room cannot be dimmed. Gamma 2.2 is the safe default.

Ports

USB-C with 90–96 W power delivery keeps a laptop charged and connected through one cable. Mac users should look for Thunderbolt or USB-C displays that are well supported, and a KVM switch helps if you share the screen between a laptop and a desktop.