Choose the best monitor for design work

Q I am using an old Iiyama CRT monitor but I want to replace it with an LCD flat-panel screen. I have been advised that IPS (In-Phase Switching) type monitors are the best for accurate colour rendering, which is important for my photographic work. However, only Lacie and NEC seem to make these monitors, and they are very expensive. Could I use the cheaper TN monitors available from many manufacturers?

CG Tapley

A That is not a question we get asked often in Computeractive because for most computer users the differences between the different types of LCD flat-panel monitor are not noticeable. For some users, though, especially those who work in design, art or photography, there are some important things to be aware of.

As you note, most flat-panel computer screens are of a type called TN (which stands for Twisted Nematic, and refers to the electronics inside the screen). These are fairly cheap to manufacture, but they are not enormously accurate when it comes to colour reproduction – they are only able to display a few hundred-thousand colours, as opposed to the several million colours that a modern computer can reproduce.

For most of us, that is not a big deal. While we may be able to tell the difference between the two, it will usually be quite a small difference, and the ability to view millions of colours on-screen is not something we need in daily life.

For people who work with colours, including designers, photographers, artists and so on, it is a very important difference, which is why monitors that use the better IPS technology are a little more expensive than TN screens. Most IPS monitors can show millions of colours properly, and so for those specialists, IPS is the best screen.

You don’t give details of your work so it’s hard to tell whether IPS will really be necessary for you, but in short, if you earn a living from photography, you should regard the IPS screen as an investment, because this will give you the best colour reproduction for your work. If you are a professional, the cost of the screen may even be tax-deductible.

For amateur photographers, hobbyists and even some of those who do paid photography on the side, a TN monitor may suffice. The best way to find out is to try to find a local computer or specialist professional photography shop that sells both kinds of screen, and to try them out with some of your images. If you are planning to buy, many shops will be happy to set up a demonstration for you.

One more thing to consider is calibrating the colours of your monitor after you have set it up. Because all screens display colours in slightly different ways, if you’re working with images it’s important to ensure what you see on screen is the same as others will see. To do this you can use a product such as Datacolor Spyder3, which attaches to the front of your monitor and uses software to detect and correct the colours it displays.

Although the model we reviewed is not cheap, there are cheaper versions of the product available, and if you work in photography or design it’s an important thing to consider.

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