
When a program’s sRGB output is displayed on a wider gamut monitor, though, the colors can go wild! They frequently shift and become over-saturated, others may look washed out. Keep in mind that photos on the internet are virtually all sRGB, and more importantly, our browsers display them as sRGB. However, the matter is slightly more complicated than that.Īlthough extended gamut displays work wonderfully for their specific purpose with programs that support them, they are generally not great for general purpose use. Most people immediately assume that “more colors = better” and decide that they need an extended gamut display. Standard gamut monitors generally attempt to display all of the colors in the sRGB color space, while extended or wide gamut monitors attempt display a larger gamut, such as that found in the AdobeRGB color space. Photo editing monitors can be broken down into two main categories: Standard Gamut (sRGB) and Wide or Extended Gamut. Extended Gamut Image Courtesy of Wikipedia. Like IPS, S-PVA panels use at least 8-bit technology, have very good gamut coverage, and colors do not shift when viewed off angle. S-PVA is another excellent but less common technology.
#Best monitors for photo editing mac professional
Professional graphic arts monitors using IPS and other less common technologies still cost thousands of dollars, though. Even a year ago, the most common IPS monitors (Mac Cinema Displays) cost three times as much as similarly sized TN screens, but now 23″ IPS monitors can be found for as little as $300. IPS monitors have been much more expensive as well, though the gap is beginning to narrow. S-IPS and a variety of “turbo” technologies have now improved that rate, and 14ms and faster speeds are common, making them very suitable for video, though still somewhat less desirable for gaming. This made it unusable for video and gaming. Initially, the IPS technology was much slower than TN, with response rates of 20-50ms. But of course, there are disadvantages as well, though they are also improving. Second, the colors do not shift when viewed from different angles most remain accurate well past 170 degrees. Engineering details aside, the main advantages to IPS panels is that they are truly 8-bit technology (or 10-bit), with many IPS monitors producing 125% or more of the number of colors in the NTSC gamut. IPS stands for In-Plane Switching, although modern IPS panels actually make use of a variety of improved technologies, such as S-IPS, H-IPS, AS-IPS, and E-IPS. IPS panel monitors, on the other hand, have a different set of advantages and disadvantages. Improvements are continually being made in TN technology, but they have a long way to go. Many TN monitors (non-LED) display less than 30% of the NTSC color gamut, and the color that they do display is only accurate when viewed head-on, so the appearance of color shifts when viewed from and angle is dramatic, and problematic around the edges in any circumstances.
#Best monitors for photo editing mac full
Instead, they attempt to simulate the full range of colors by interpolation of other colors, which they do with limited success. More importantly for photographers, though, is that TN monitors use 6-bit color technology, and therefore can’t display the full 24-bit color range (16.7 million colors) that video cards can produce (and that the monitor manufacturers usually claim they can produce). They’re also the cheapest monitors on the market. They are also very bright and are being made with increasingly high resolution, so they appeal to most average consumers. Most TN monitors these days advertise response times of 2-6ms, though they are not always measured in the same way, so comparison is difficult. TN screens initially gained popularity because of their low energy consumption, but also because of their quick response time, which is important in reducing ghosting and producing smooth motion for gaming and video.

If you have a standard or even higher-end “gaming” LCD monitor for your PC, this is what you have (the same is not true for some Macs). TN stands for Twisted Nematic, which is by far the most popular and wide-spread screen technology. In order to make optimal adjustments to your digital negatives, you must be able to see as much of your color gamut as possible and the color must be accurate and reliable. You can’t adjust your curves to give your print smooth tonal transitions or to distinguish subtle shadow detail if you can’t see those transitions and details to begin with.

IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE COLOR AND TONAL DIFFERENCES on your monitor, then you can’t make good post-processing decisions and adjustments to your digital negatives.
