Best Monitor for Photo Editing 2020 (Budget & 4K)

Best Monitor for Photo Editing 2020 (Budget & 4K)
10 min read

Color is the heart of photo editing. Professionals and enthusiasts would agree that color accuracy is vital when it comes to choosing a photo editing monitor. It is plain and simple – a good monitor will show you an accurate representation of the actual picture. But despite the importance of color accuracy, there is undeniably still a lot of factors to consider for an excellent photo editing monitor. We’re going to look at the Top 5 Monitors for Photo Editing available on the market today. We made this list based on our own opinion, research, and customer reviews. We’ve considered their quality, features, and values when narrowing down the best choices possible. 

5. Acer R240HY

Best Monitor for Photo Editing 2020 (Budget & 4K)The Acer R240 carries an IPS display that shows every detail clearly and vividly without color difference from any viewing angle.

It’s great to have the additional detail of 4k when viewing photos or editing videos, but you’ll need to compromise a little, or choose a happy midpoint DPI resolution for mixed usage. With the 1080P resolution of the Acer R240, this is no longer an issue. This 23.8-inch LCD provides excellent detail, perfect for productivity and multimedia applications. Unlike other monitors, it has zero frame design that puts no limitation on your visual enjoyment. Its brushed hairline finish stand also matches any environment.

Its design creates a unique visual experience without boundaries – ideal when adding two or more monitors side-by-side for extended viewing experience. You can adjust the monitor easily.

It tilts from -5 degrees to 15 degrees allowing you to maximize the media and have the best view possible. The R240 supports VGA, DVI & HDMI inputs so you can extend the fun from your smartphone or tablet on Full HD display. With the Acer Flicker-less technology, you will no longer have annoying screen flickering. It also provides you a blue light filter, so you’re shielded from the eye-straining blue light.

Its pros are:

  • It is eco-friendly. The Acer EcoDisplay design emphasizes recyclability, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and safety. The R240 is also ENERGY STAR-certified and is mercury-free
  • Its zero-frame design is aesthetically pleasing
  • Value for money. Given its specs and features, it doesn’t cost that much compared to other monitors

However, its sturdy stand cannot be tilted in any way that makes it quite tricky to use.

More about: eco-friendly screens

Regardless of this minor issue, the Acer R240HY is one competitive monitor to consider.

4. HP VH240a

Best Monitor for Photo Editing 2020 (Budget & 4K)One of the decent budget monitors on the market, the VH240a has a 24-inch 1080p IPS display with a fully ergonomic stand. It’s great for everyday use, may it be for work or leisure such as casual gaming.

This monitor provides wide 178-degree viewing angles, which means that the picture won’t change in color and contrast even when you look at it from awkward angles. It also supports an 8-bit color depth via dithering, 6-bit + 2-bit for 16.7 million colors, and covers the basic sRGB color gamut. Images are vivid, movies are amazing, and you have plenty of room to see all of your windows.

The VH240a has a 250-nit peak brightness and a 1,000 to 1 static contrast ratio. You get a well-balanced image quality and performance for its price. It’s also not very demanding on your CPU or GPU, which is a big plus for editing photos. With a response time speed of 5 milliseconds and a refresh rate of 60 Hertz, everything will run smoothly without any prominent trailing, motion blur, or other visual artifacts.

Its pros are:

  • It is affordable, but performs beyond expectations
  • It has an excellent input lag performance, so there won’t be any noticeable delays
  • It’s pretty straightforward; you can set it up easily

However, the cons are:

  • It has average speakers. You will need external speakers
  • It has minor blurs in fast-moving videos
  • It has limited warranty coverage
  • Its large base takes up much desk space

The HP VH240a is an excellent choice if your workstation needs full HD specs with satisfactory color gamut and contrast.

3. BenQ BL2420PT

Best Monitor for Photo Editing 2020 (Budget & 4K)BenQ Designer Monitors deliver absolute color precision and ultra-detailed high-resolution display.

It comes with a 2K QHD and 2560 x 1440 resolution. It offers extraordinarily clear fine details and depth of subtle textures. This is perfect for intensive visual works such as animation, visual effects, graphics, and photos.

It is designed with 100-percent sRGB and Rec. 709 color space. So it reproduces more than one billion vibrant colors, especially for photo editing. It also has an animation mode that enhances the brightness of dark areas without overexposing bright regions. The BL2420PT comes with an advanced IPS wide viewing angle technology to minimize color shifts. Its color gamut accuracy reproduces accurate resolution, frame rate, gamma, and white point performance in high-definition video work.

BenQ has exclusive eye-care technologies that reduce eye fatigue for comfort, enhanced productivity, and workplace safety during extended use. You can relieve your eyes from the uncomfortable flickering effects of monitors, as this one includes the latest flicker-free technology. It also has the Unique BenQ Low Blue Light Technology that filters out harmful blue light.

Its pros are:

  • It has good grayscale and viewing-angles
  • It has a fully-adjustable stand. You can set it to your preferred comfortable height
  • You get Eye protection technologies for a healthier lifestyle

However, for those who use this monitor other than to edit photos, the BL2420PT has low-quality sound output.

But then, given its exceptional display features, the audio quality should not be a problem if you have external speakers.

2. BenQ GW2780

Best Monitor for Photo Editing 2020 (Budget & 4K)Simple and beautiful, the GW2780 has a 27-inch frameless monitor combined with ultra-slim bezels.

Just like other BenQ monitors, it is designed with the exclusive Eye-Care Technology with Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free performances for extended viewing comfort. The GW2780 utilizes the industry-leading Brightness Intelligence Technology.

Since the BenQ supports hardware calibration, using something like the Datacolor Spyder5PRO is a quick and easy way to get your colors spot-on in a couple of minutes, without having to delve into the monitor’s manual settings. The display delivers exquisite details in any ambient lighting environment.

With the ideal combination of LED and IPS technologies, this monitor gives you a new level of visual enjoyment with truly authentic colors, deeper blacks, higher contrast, and sharper details. IPS technology mainly ensures accurate color and image reproduction from any angle.

It has an expansive 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles for a uniform viewing, even for multiple people.

Its pros are:

  • It has an invisible cable management system that neatly hides all wires inside the monitor stand to give a clutter-free workstation
  • It is lightweight so you can rearrange your desk without much effort
  • BenQ’s eye care technology sets this brand apart from the rest

Its cons, however, are:

  • It doesn’t have an adjustable height
  • It doesn’t come with a USB port to connect your peripherals
  • It bleeds light out of the corners

Nevertheless, with the BenQ GW2780’s reliable build quality, this product is sure to last.

1. Dell P2418D

Best Monitor for Photo Editing 2020 (Budget & 4K)To experience enhanced visuals with impressive QHD resolution and an ultrathin bezel is possible with the Dell P2418D.

It produces well-detailed and extra-crisp images, making it the perfect choice for your editing needs. It is designed with a 23.8-inch IPS display with 2560 x 1440 resolution – 1.77 times more details than Full HD. It has an impressive 1020 to 1 contrast ratio.

This monitor produces vivacious and accurate colors, as well as fine details. Even across a wide viewing angle, you get color perfection with its 99-percent sRGB color coverage. The Dell is perfect for editing videos in Davinci Resolve, Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, and photos in Photoshop and Lightroom. For pictures and videos, the extra resolution means you can squeeze a bit more information onto the screen.

This TUV-Certified monitor is designed to optimize eye comfort with its flicker-free backlight and an integrated blue light filter. It helps you be more productive with just the right angle, height, and positioning. It also comes with a 60 Hertz refresh rate and 5-millisecond response time. W

ith the use of the Dell Easy Arrange feature, you can multitask by splitting your screen into various layouts and use different apps on-screen simultaneously.

Its pros are: 

  • It gives you your money’s worth with its top-notch quality and reliability
  • It is not intended for gaming, but its input lag performance makes it fit for competitive gameplay
  • It comes with DisplayPort and HDMI ports so that you can get optimal connectivity for QHD content

However, if you’re on a budget, there are other cost-efficient options that you may want to consider.

But all in all, the Dell P2418D is an excellent monitor for your everyday use whether for work or entertainment. The IPS monitor’s crystal-clear image quality and vibrant colors speak for this product. And not to mention the great ergonomics that it offers.

And that completes our top five monitors for photo editing.

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Jacob Enderson 4K
I'm a tech enthusiast and writer, passionate about everything from cutting-edge hardware to innovative software and the latest gadgets. Join me as I explore the...
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