Best 27 Inch Monitor for Graphic Design & Art

Best 27 Inch Monitor for Graphic Design dell-p2715q

If you’re an artist or designer (whether you’re doing it for a living or as a hobby) then a monitor is probably one of the most important pieces of kit you’ll ever buy, so it’s worth investing a little time and money, and doing it right. Luckily for you, we’ve already invested the time to save you some of yours*, so have a look at our top three picks of the best 27 inch monitor for graphic design & arty types.
*Sorry we can’t invest any of the money for you, you’re on your own with that one.

What you’re looking for is the classic monitor hat trick of resolution, colour and connectivity options, so if you think you can just stroll into Micro Center and pick the first special offer you see, you’d best think again…

Dell P2715Q 4K Monitor LED – IPS



Dell-p2715q

This Ultra HD 4K Monitor has a very desirable 3840 x 2160 res and IPS. The Dell P2715Q also boasts 99% sRGB straight out of the box, although it wouldn’t hurt to have calibration tools on standby for fine tuning. Connectivity is more than adequate with DisplayPort 1.2 means that you can easily Daisy Chain with other monitors, and this plus the cable control make it all very neat and tidy. Speaking of which, the Dell is a very tidy model thanks to built in cable management, and that allows you to really take advantage of the impressive ergonomics. Obviously the Dell P2715Q isn’t going to be a great choice for those running Mac or Linux, but for Windows users it’s a fine pick. There have been scattered complaints about mouse lag and it’s not the ‘sexiest’ of hardware, but with a RRP of $699 , this monitor is definitely a good, cost effective option for designers.

ViewSonic VP2780-4K 27-Inch Ultra HD SuperClear IPS LED Monitor



Viewsonic VP2780

Another UHD with IPS, the ViewSonic VP2780-4K gives you a rather impressive 14 bit 3D LUT as well as pre-calibrated Delta E≤2 for truly stunning colour. DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 have prompted the manufacturers to label the ViewSonic as futureproof in their own blurb, and such amazing connectivity definitely makes for a striking refresh time (60hz). Multi picture functionality is definitely a plus for designers, giving you the freedom to view various projects simultaneously and making comparisons with reference images and the like far easier. The price tag is a little heftier than the Dell at $899 and the base is kind of bulky but I’m afraid that’s the price you pay for colour like this!

Dell UP2715K 27-Inch Ultra HD 5K LCD Monitor



Dell-UP2715K - for Graphic Design

So Dell’s response to the Mac 5k was to bring out this little beauty the UP2715K; a 5120 x 2880, 12 bit LUT, In-plane switching diva with ports in all the right places. The specs are sky high, but unfortunately so is the price, and with a RRP of $2499 it’s definitely not for the feint hearted. Having said that you’ll need to go a long way to find someone with anything really bad to say about the Dell. The biggest downside as far as I can see is that it’s not great for displaying low-res footage (you kind of get the feeling that that sort of thing is below it). Even the monitor’s aesthetics are superior, with sleek lines and a delicate base making it as nice to look at as it is to use.

Resolution

Let’s be honest here, when it comes to resolution size does matter and anything less than a 2560 x 1440 just isn’t going to cut it. Ideally you want to be looking at an Ultra High Definition (UHD) monitor with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, but you can go higher, with Apple claiming dibs on the top dog spot with their 5120 x 2880 5k behemoth, until earlier this year when Dell launched a comparable model (see above). Obviously when you go above your standard Full HD you’re immediately looking at a big hike in price, but it’s definitely worth the investment in terms of clarity, and hopefully you’ll be future proofing your purchase to-boot.

Colour

The holy grail of design based monitors is one that shows you colours as close as possible to those that will appear in print and this part is all about performance. Opting for a high spec model is key, so look for features such as Advanced High Performance In Plane Switching panels (AH-IPS) and a minimum 10 bit look up table (LUT). A 10, 12 or 14 bit LUT will allow you to perform frequent calibrations, which means that you’ll be able to keep on top of your palettes (although professional monitors will often come with integrated calibration tools, you’ve always go the option to buy third party if they’re lacking).

Connectivity

You’ll need an HDMI port of course, but remember that if you’re opting for UHD then your graphics card will require two of its own. The card will also need to support Multi Stream Transfer (MST) if you want to get the best resolution with a fast refresh rate. Other ports you’ll require are DisplayPort 1.2 and dual link DVI.

Best 27 Inch Monitor for Graphic Design Summation

You’ve probably noticed that I’ve picked two Dell monitors. Am I biased? Yes. I’ve always used Dell for design and their latest offerings are just as good as they’ve always been. Of course that doesn’t mean you can’t shop around, but if the reviews on the wonderful world wide web are anything to go by I’m not the only one who rates Dell. Having said that the ViewSonic is an unexpected but very welcome contender and definitely one I’ll be keeping an eye on in the future.
So do we have a winner? Well of course I was always going to go for the P2715Q in terms of definition and, as far as artists are concerned, this one is the full package – looks, performance and specs are all spot on. Unfortunately, considering the price tag, it simply doesn’t offer enough given that the ViewSonic provides only slightly lower specs (and in fact better LUT) for virtually a third of the price. However, my overall favourite is the P2715Q. Call me a Dell groupie but I’d choose this monitor even if it wasn’t the cheapest, and the fact that it is, is just the icing on the cake!

U2715H: What To Expect From The Dell UltraSharp

Dell U2715H 27 Inch Monitor

http://best27inchmonitor.wistia.com/medias/fgfxf710mz?embedType=api&videoWidth=640


 

Dell U2715H Analyzed

There are a number of 27 inch monitors out there for PCs. Not all of them are really up to snuff. In fact plenty of them fall short of the job they were built to perform. But I’m not here to tell you about the sub-par tech out there. I’m here to inform you of the real hot stuff that you might want to consider investing your hard-earned cash in and the Dell UltraSharp U2715H is just that.

The feature that makes the U2715H really shine is the screen’s high resolution. After all, the one thing we must demand from our monitors is that the screen is superb.

The resolution is 2,560 x 1,440 pixels which offers an “ultrasharp” viewing experience. I guess that’s why they named it that, clever Dell!

In fact many claim this monitor stands up to the standard iMac display, which really is saying a lot.

Well let’s get into the specs of this guy.

U2715HM Specs

Often when laying out the specs for tech products I try to find the easiest way to tell you most about the monitor, information that is actually useful. I could tell you the Dynamic Contrast Ratio is 2 million:1 and the Brightness is 350 cd/m2 but that tells you nothing when you’re trying to find out what monitor is the best for gaming and watching your favorite flick especially when you’re not a techie.

Here’s the simple, important data:

  • Weight is 23 pounds with a 27 inch viewable monitor (obviously)
  • The screen display is backlit by LED
  • The screen has an antiglare coating
  • With 2,560 x 1,440 resolution you’re going to get a wicked sharp picture
  • The U2715H comes with a height-adjustable stand that tilts and pivots with a built-in cable management system



U2715H rear

Your connectivity looks like this:

  • 2 HDMI ports-1 Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 DisplayPort
  • 1 DisplayPort out
  • 1 Audio Line out (for your speakers to connect to)
  • 5 USB 3.0 ports – Downstream (for flashdrives, printers, etc.)
  • 1 USB 3.0 port
  • Upstream (for connection straight to another computer or a USB hub)

What’s The Dell UltraSharp U2715H Good For?

Because of the high-resolution screen you’re looking at a monitor that is good all around whether for home or office use, medical office use, for video editing, photo editing, watching movies, code writing and of course gaming. The U2715HM is especially great for gaming because some PC games are the only thing that’s going to fully utilize that kind of resolution output. The general consensus amongst gamers is that this is definitely one of the good ones in terms of getting the most out of your gaming. Especially with first-person shooter games where enemies are way more easily identified.

Pros/Cons

Pros:

  • Excellent, high resolution images
  • Very little to no backlight bleed
  • Compact size and thin bezel so you’re not dealing with some big clunky piece of equipment
  • Tilt, swivel and pivot allows you to arrange the monitor anyway you want for optimum space saving
  • Price is significantly less than the earlier U2713H

Cons:

  • Not compatible with earlier computers that use VGA input so make sure your computer is compatible before purchasing.
  • Some have reported significant backlight bleed but this seems to be an occasional case here and there. If you do purchase one and you notice a significance problem consider returning it for a non-dud.

What’s This Bad Boy Going To Cost You?


If you go to dell.com you can get the U2715H monitor for $599 but you can pick it up on Amazon for as low as $519.99.

So, whether you’re looking for a gaming monitor or just something for the office the Dell U2715H is definitely worth considering.

Best 27 Inch Monitor