Good Monitor for designing

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15 Oct 2006
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I bought a BENQ G2420HDBL and now i realize it was a mistake cause i'm unable design anything on it properly.
The colors don't look right eg; gradients etc.. compared to other monitors.

I am thinking about getting a Samsung or a well known brand like that.
I'll be designing graphics for web and using it for video etc..

Any suggestions?
 
I only had to look at the price of that monitor to know that it would be crap for any kind of design work.

You want something with an IPS panel, not a cheapy TN.
 
price range and size?

The Dell u2311h has pretty good colour reproduction at a sensible price, the 24" dell IPS panel is about double the cost although it is a better ratio 16:10 instead of the 23's 16:9

there is a refresh due on both if its not happened already with the 23 becoming an LED back lit one very soon

EDIT: but yeah as Tripnologist said you'll want an IPS panel based monitor for best colour reproduction and ideally a calibration device to change the monitor settings to get as perfect as possible, but those arn't particularly cheap either
 
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Probably anything up to £180 and size about 22-24.

although I'm not sure if its worth getting 2 smaller (18s) for a duel setup.
 
With that budget and usage I would go with the ASUS ML239H. It seems to use the same 1920x1080 23in E-IPS panel as the £210 Dell U2311H (excellent monitor - review here) and costs £30 less.

Compared to a TN panel monitor like the BenQ, you would find either of these E-IPS monitors to be a big upgrade for colour sensitive work.

Here is an in-depth review of the ASUS.

The ASUS also seems to have a well-implement pixel overdrive feature which reduces ghosting - this will mean it will look better for moving images (video/games) than monitors like the LG IPS231P, ViewSonic VP2365wb and EA232WMi.

As for two smaller monitors for around the same price - unless you get a couple of good deals second hand then these monitors will use TN panels - so not much of an upgrade from your existing BenQ.
 
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Personally I would, mainly because Dell's 3 year warranty service for their ultrasharp monitors is excellent (next day replacements to your door) so you hardly have any down-time if you have any issues.

I'm not sure how ASUS's warranty compares, but they are certainly not nearly as established in the professional/prosumer monitor market as Dell.

Also, in terms of digital connections you get a DVI connection and Display port connection on the Dell, while just a HDMI on the ASUS (this isn't a big deal, but Display port is gaining in popularity and is very useful to have if you plan to run eyefinity in the future). Also, the Dell has a 4 port USB 2.0 hub built in - which is very useful.

Don't get me wrong, the ASUS is still a good monitor, but the extra £30 on the dell is a worthwhile investment imho.
 
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A calibration tool would be a wise investment if you are serious. There was a thread on here which let you put your name down to borrow one and then post it on.
 
Remember that a lot of design + colour work depends on your surroundings as well. If you're spending hundreds on a monitor, it can't hurt to ensure you're using the correct lighting and setup in your room: you can find a load of tutorials and guides for this just by googling 'setting up a room for grading'.
 
I wish I knew about this sooner, that still going on though? :p

A quick search threw up nothing but it's probably still doing the rounds somewhere.

I bought one and the accuracy between screen, print proof and final product is pretty much spot on.
 
If i can find the U2311H model elsewhere, is it worth buying? or should i look for a different IPS? (I am in need of one by the end of this week though)

And whats the deal with the calibration tool I'm not sure how they work..

Cheers.
 
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