What is the Best Dell Monitor for Photo Editing?

There’s nothing worse than editing photos on one display and then seeing them on a different screen and the colors are “wonky” a photographer friend recently told me.

You want a monitor that not only provides precise, accurate colors right out of the box with broad coverage of industry color standards, but also offers crisp images and consistent color viewing at any angle.

To find that, I looked both inside Dell and outside to professional photographers and reviewers.

Dell Pros Say Go UltraSharp with PremierColor

When I asked some of our Dell display experts which monitor is best for photo editing, they recommended one from our Dell UltraSharp monitor with PremierColor family because it offers the ideal tools for color-critical projects.

And there are several of Dell UltraSharp with PremierColor monitors to choose from to meet your specific needs and budget, including:

• Dell UltraSharp 32 8K Monitor – UP3218K – The world’s first 31.5 inch monitor with 8K resolution, announced at CES 2017
• Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Monitor – UP3216Q– 32 inch UltraHD 4k Monitor
• Dell UltraSharp 30 Monitor – UP3017” 32 inch 16:10 aspect ratio, UltraHD 4k Monitor
• Dell UltraSharp 27 4K HDR Monitor – UP2718Q –  27 inch 4k monitor is the world’s first UHDA Premium certified HDR10 monitor
• Dell UltraSharp 27 Monitor – UP2716D – 27 inch QHD monitor with ultrathin bezels
• Dell UltraSharp 25 Monitor – UP2516D-25 inch QHD monitor with ultrathin bezels

Dell UltraSharp Monitors with PremierColor offer the ability to calibrate and color match to a specific color space, for consistent color results with very little deviation between individual monitors. They have compatibility to major industry standards, such as AdobeRGB and sRGB, giving photographers the flexibility to select and use their preferred color space.

You can also calibrate the monitor in-house using Dell UltraSharp Color Calibration Solution software¹ with the optional X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter² (sold separately), or tweak color parameters according to their proprietary color solution with the SDK³.

Reviewers and Professional Photographers Concur

But don’t just take our word for it that the UltraSharp with PremierColor monitors are great for photo editing. TechRadar recently listed the Dell UltraSharp UP3216Q and the Dell UltraSharp UP3218K among their top screens for photographers.

And professional photographer Jack Fusco, whose work has focused on the landscape-astrophotography field, recently shared an in-depth review of that 8K model.

“In a year where I plan on upgrading one of my main camera bodies, I believe this monitor will be an even bigger asset in improving the quality of my work,” Fusco said.

This monitor was called “stunningly ahead of its time” by The Verge last year, who also noted that the world needed to do some catching up “to Dell’s impressive technological achievement.” (their words, not mine.)

But, Fusco believes that it can be good to be ahead of the curve.

“Very often, expensive gear needs to be replaced or is outdated in a short amount of time,” he said.  “Because people are still making the move to 4K, moving your workspace to 8K now means you’ll have plenty of time before you have to worry about upgrading again.”

The World’s Favorite Monitors

Yes, we can claim to be the world’s favorite because Dell monitors have been #1 worldwide for five consecutive years (2013 to 2017) according to IDC Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker, Q1 2018.

By choosing a top-tier monitor with added features specific for color critical tasks, photographers can enjoy color depth of 1.07 billion colors (64 times more color depth than standard monitors) for smooth gradations in color and exceptional clarity – even in dark areas.

Each monitor mentioned in this post is factory color calibrated on AdobeRGB and sRGB to a Delta-E < 2 and comes with a complete factory calibration report, giving you the confidence that colors will be accurate right from the start.

All of this means photographers who chose Dell UltraSharp Monitors with PremierColor can feel confident that they’ve picked a winner.

1 Available for download from Dell.com/support

2 The X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter is available in selected countries for purchase from Dell. Contact a Dell representative to find out if it is available in your country. i1Display Pro is also available from X-Rite’s North American and Pantone online stores, and also from X-Rite’s worldwide network of resellers.

3 Dell’s software development kit enables you to customize Dell UltraSharp Monitors to your preferred in-house custom system, allowing you to easily manage color space and control video layout.