5 Best Wide Screen Monitors for Designers
Hey creators! I understand – you sit at your desk for hours, eyes burning and back aching from staring at your computer screen. Am I right? Well, what if I told you there was a way to make your life as a designer much easier (and more fun)? Let me introduce wide screen monitors.
I know what you might think: “But I already have a good monitor – why should I get an expensive one?” Believe me, once you’ve tried the amazingness of wide screen monitors, you will never want to return to looking at your tiny standard display. It’s like switching from a small sketchpad to being able to paint on an entire wall!
What Is It That Makes A Wide Screen Monitor So Amazing?
Imagine being able to have multiple windows open without any of them overlapping or having to constantly Alt-Tab between them. With extra space horizontally, you can have design software open alongside reference images, colour palettes and tutorials all within eyesight at the same time; no more scrolling mile after mile or squinting until your eyeballs pop trying to see those tiny little dots; it’s like having a whole world around yourself where immersion equals productivity.
Panoramic Previews
Seeing things before they’re finished is essential for designers, right? Well then, with an ultrawide aspect ratio such as 21:9 or even 32:9, everything will finally start looking as it should when designing websites, videos, and digital art. There won’t be any more guessing about how things will look on different-sized screens because everything can be seen together in one place – against a beautiful backdrop stretching far into the distance, left, right, up, and down any direction.
Master Multitasking
We’re not dumb; we know that designers multitask more than anyone else, so here’s another reason wide screen monitors are great. They allow you to become a true master of multitasking. Keep your email and messaging apps open on one side of the screen whilst doing work on the other; use split-screen mode to have tutorials up next to where you’re designing things, etc. The possibilities for speeding up workflow are endless with these bad boys!
Top Wide Screen Monitor Picks
Alright, enough with the hype – here are some of this year's top-rated very wide monitors for designers:
1. LG 38WN95C-W 38″ Curved UltraWide
Curvy Immersion: This beautiful display has a 3840 x 1600 resolution and a slight curve (1900R), making designs pop off the screen.
Colour Accuracy: Your colours will look vibrant and true-to-life thanks to this monitor’s 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space and factory calibration.
Ergo Stand: Designed for those long nights, it lets you tilt, swivel and adjust height for comfy ergonomics while working or gaming.
“I can't get over how much more focused and ‘in the zone' I feel with this ultra-wide monitor. It eliminated so much clutter from my workspace.”
2. Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 49″ Curved QHD
- OLED & NEO QUANTUM PROCESSOR PRO: With the advanced Neo Quantum Processor Pro, every frame on the OLED panel is instantly analyzed and optimized for maximum quality; Colors, shades and contrast come together to deliver a bright, brilliant picture
- 49″ DUAL QHD: A screen as wide as two quad high definition monitors delivers maximum space to take in all the pin-sharp detail; It wraps around your field of vision with 1800R curvature to put you fully into your character's shoes
- DisplayHDR TRUE BLACK 400: Uncover every secret with infinite expression; See true black and dark colors on screen without pixel light bleed for supreme color and depth expression in every game
Huge Display: With a res of 5120 x 1440 pixels and an aspect ratio of 32:9 on a screen measuring nearly four feet diagonally, you're in for one helluva view.
Mini-LED Backlighting: HDR2000 combined with Quantum Mini-LED tech gives us brightness like never before – contrast too! Colours pop off this thing!
Refresh Rate King: Gaming at 240Hz is beyond smooth on this behemoth; there's also a wicked-fast pixel response time, so motion blur is virtually eliminated.
“As someone who does video editing and VFX work, I think this monitor is a game-changer for previewing footage and timelines.”
3. Dell UltraSharp U4021QW 40″ Curved WUHD
Colossal Resolution: The U4021QW boasts an ultrawide resolution of 5120 x 2160 pixels crammed into its expansive 40-inch curved display.
USB-C Hub: This is perfect for those who need to switch between multiple devices quickly or want a streamlined workspace with fewer cables.
Uniform Colours: Calibrated at the factory to be Dell's best yet; verified by Calman, these colours are accurate no matter where you look on this screen!
“I mostly do print/branding work, and this monitor is amazing for laying out mockups and proofs in their proper dimensions.”
4. Dough Spectrum One 27″
- Stunning Visuals: The 27″ IPS panel is factory calibrated for a Delta E 0.6 average accuracy, delivering 1.07 billion colors that cover 98% of the DCI-P3 and 100% of the sRGB gamut. HDR10 support with a 10 million:1 dynamic contrast ratio enhances photos and videos with lifelike highlights and deep shadows. Designed for anything and everything.
- Adaptive Sync Technology: Support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology with NVIDIA G-Sync and VESA Adaptive-Sync compatibility enables the monitor to dynamically adjust its refresh rate to the frame rate being output by the graphics card, thereby greatly reducing screen tearing, stuttering, and other artifacts.
- High-Speed Ports: Two HDMI 2.1 ports are available alongside one DisplayPort 1.4 input for high-bandwidth connections to compatible devices. This display can display video from two separate sources in split screen mode. The integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2 hub includes two side-facing USB-A and one USB-C port, each of which supports up to 10 Gb/s transfers with compatible devices. Plug a pair of headphones into the 3.5mm audio jack for listening privacy.
Budget Pick: At under $500, Dough’s ultrawide monitor offers vibrant colour accuracy with an HDR10 display that won't break your bank account.
Pro Design Features: Picture-in-picture/picture-by-picture modes allow multiple inputs simultaneously while hardware calibration ensures precise colour representation.
Appealing Aesthetics: Besides looking good with its zero-bezel design, rose gold metal stand, etc., this thing also has good picture quality!
“Amazing value for a designer on a budget. The ultra-wide makes such a difference in my Photoshop workflow, and the colours are beautiful.”
5. BenQ PD3420Q DesignVue 34″ UltraWide
- Made for Designers: 34″ LED ultrawide monitor features Pantone Validated and Calman verified color accurate technology. Experience 98% P3 and 100% sRGB color coverage with Delta E ≤ 3. Built with M-Book mode which features Mac compatible color matching.
- ICC Sync Compatible with Display P3: The ICC Sync simplifies the color mapping process and can be completed in 1 second through the BenQ Display Pilot software.
- USB-C: Synchronize images, videos, data and charge all of your mobile devices with an all-in-one cable!
Designer Focused: With Darkroom mode able to fine-tune every setting, Animation mode offers more frames per second than you can imagine – oh yeah, it’s built for us creators!
Accurate △E≦2 Colour: If you've ever wanted colours that match perfectly every time without having to calibrate anything yourself – here you go!
Ergonomic Features: When your back starts hurting from sitting all day, and your eyes burn to stare at screens late into the night – realise they had our comfort in mind, too.
“Viewing my 3D modelling projects in their proper wide aspect ratio is invaluable. I highly recommend this monitor!”
Getting the Most Out of Your Wide Screen
Alright, you’ve got your fancy new ultra-wide monitor—now what? Check out these suggestions to make the most of all that screen real estate:
- Use Window Management Tools: Experiment with window tiling, snapping and management utilities to arrange your applications for optimal visibility quickly.
- Adjust Scaling Settings: You might have to tweak scaling because UI elements can look blurry at high resolutions but must stay readable.
- Test Vertical Orientation: Many wider screens can rotate 90° into portrait / “vertical” mode, which is excellent for coding, reading documents or scrolling through timelines.
- Customise Wallpapers: Set a panoramic or ultra-wide wallpaper across your entire display for maximum immersion.
- Remap Shortcuts: Remap hotkeys/shortcuts for more straightforward window navigation, moving between virtual desktops and accessing snap/tile layouts.
The Wide Screen Advantage – A Designer's Perspective
Alright, designers, let's get real here – how many of you have gotten so focused on your design work that you lost track of time, only to look up hours later with a stiff neck and blurry eyes? Raises hand sheepishly
One of the low-key fantastic benefits of an ultra-wide monitor is that it can help reduce eye strain and neck fatigue. Think about it – instead of constantly swivelling your head to scan across multiple monitors or squinting at tiny toolbars, you have one gloriously broad canvas where everything is visible at a glance.
And let's remember the pure productivity boost from all that extra screen space! You can easily keep reference imagery, inspiration boards, colour palettes, and the million other assets designers need all open and organised without overlap. No more frantic clicking between windows – you can view it all simultaneously for a focused, interruptive workflow.
As someone who does a ton of video editing and motion graphics, I can't overstate how much an ultra-wide has levelled up my ability to evaluate shots, sequences, and effects work precisely. Instead of cropped or scaled-down footage, I can view edits in their full, glorious dimensions at 1:1 resolution. It's like having an HDR video village right on my desktop.
And for my design friends who do print, branding or UI/UX mockups, an ultra-wide lets you keep your creative layout tools and master proofs viewable together as intended. You can eyeball that logo placement, font spacing, or colour balance while seeing the comprehensive design, not just zoomed bits and pieces.
Sure, an ultra-wide monitor is an investment. But for most designers and creative pros, it's an investment that pays itself a hundredfold in enhanced focus, comfort, and productivity.
Once you experience having all the tools and assets you need visible at once, perfectly colour-managed, and scaled to proper dimensions, you'll agree – an ultra-wide isn't just nice to have; it's a necessity for genuinely seamless modern design work.
Ultra-Wide FAQs
Still, have some questions buzzing around that wonderfully creative brain of yours? Don’t worry, I’ve got answers!
Are wide screen monitors suitable for designers?
Absolutely! For designers, wide screen monitors are a godsend. They give you extra space horizontally so you can put all your tools, reference materials, and works-in-progress side by side without overlapping them. This increases concentration and productivity.
What is the best aspect ratio for an ultra-wide monitor?
21:9 is the best aspect ratio in terms of width for an ultra-wide monitor, as it gives enough horizontal space while maintaining a reasonable vertical height. However, 32:9 ratios are very wide but may be too short vertically for specific tasks.
Do ultra-wides function well with Windows/Mac?
All modern operating systems and design software support native resolutions of ultrawide displays. Some scaling might need to be adjusted, but otherwise, it will work fine.
Can you watch movies on an ultra-wide properly?
Most ultrawide screens are optimised for work or productivity use cases but support video playback in their native aspect ratio or with black bars on the sides when playing narrower content. There are even some models with unique “Cinema” presets.
How can you arrange windows efficiently on an ultra-wide?
You can easily use built-in window snapping tools or third-party utilities to tile windows side by side. Another way is creating preset layout templates; consider setting up custom shortcut keys for this purpose.
Isn’t an ultra-wide just like having two monitors?
No, it’s pretty different! Although dual screens provide more flexibility, which can be helpful for multitasking, etc., there is always a disruptive bezel/seam between them, unlike in the case of a single seamless display like ultrawide, where the image also wraps smoothly, especially if the panel has curvature.
What other features are essential for designers?
Look for professional-grade colour accuracy, factory calibration, HDR support, ergonomic stands, USB-C docking/KVM switch functionality and user-assignable preset modes.
In Summary
So there you have it, designers – the ultra-wide monitor revolution is here and glorious. With these behemoths of horizontal real estate, you can finally bid farewell to frenzied window juggling and say hello to a blissfully immersive, expansive workspace tailored for limitless creativity.
Whether you're a photographer editing high-res panoramas, a video pro working with sweeping timelines, or a UI/UX maestro mocking up sleek, responsive layouts, an ultra-wide makes the whole process smoother and more efficient. No more guesswork on how elements will look at different dimensions – you can natively preview your work in all its multi-monitor splendour.
And let's be honest, they just look doggone cool! There's something so undeniably badass about having a massive, futuristic curved display dominating your desk real estate.
Of course, finding the perfect ultra-wide comes down to prioritising your specific needs and budget. But with top picks like the LG 38WN95C, Samsung Odyssey G9, Dell U4021QW, Dough Spectrum, and BenQ PD3420Q leading the charge this year, there's an ultra-wide out there for every design scenario (and desk size)!
So what are you waiting for? Stop straining your eyes and neck on that cramped, measly monitor. Treat yourself to a crisp, panoramic, colour-accurate ultra-wide that will make your design life easier and your work look better. Embrace that sense of wonder only an ultra-wide can deliver – it's like getting a brilliant new set of eyes!
Last update on 2024-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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