Color accuracy is the foundation for all professional photography and design projects. Cameras need to be color-accurate to capture the real-life colors in every image, and monitors must be able to reproduce those colors accurately for edits or digital designs. With such an important role for professionals, understanding what color accuracy is and how to find the best monitor for color accuracy is crucial. In this article, we’ll break down what color accuracy is, why it’s important, and how to determine which monitor is the right one for you. 

Color accuracy is the measurement of how accurately colors can be reproduced on a monitor compared to real-life colors. To measure color accuracy, we utilize Delta E, a calculation for measuring color difference. The lower the Delta E value, the higher your color accuracy will be, and it will keep the white balance and saturation at the right levels. Achieving and maintaining color accuracy requires regular hardware calibration of your monitor, otherwise the colors seen on the display will not match the real-life colors they’re representing.

Monitors will often advertise themselves to be “color-accurate,” but be sure to review the Delta E value and color gamut percentage before selecting one. The Delta E value should be 2 or less to establish a strong baseline for the color gamut percentages. Product specifications will provide the general achievable value for these color spaces, but the exact number won’t be shown as each monitor may vary slightly in production and calibration. Professional monitors will come with a calibration report that provides the exact specifications of Delta E color difference and the color gamut coverage expressed as a percentage, but continued calibration throughout usage is the only way to maintain these numbers.

Here is an example of these reports:  

While the Delta E value directly affects the overall color accuracy of your monitor, using the right color gamut affects the color accuracy of different projects. Below is a list of the four primary color gamuts available on professional monitors, what type of projects or professions they are best for, and their color space graphs.

• Adobe RGB: The color space for photography. It is available in multiple cameras and monitors, works specifically with Adobe Photoshop, and will represent accurate colors for printing.
• sRGB: The color space for websites and online content. It is available on the majority of monitors, is widely accepted as the default color space that websites are created in, and covers all the colors you see in real life.
• DCI-P3: The color space for the film industry, specifically in theaters. The exact specifications were designed for viewing in a fully darkened theater environment with a projector, but today the colors work well for video content editing or vibrant images. The Apple Inc. variant, Display P3, is similar to the original DCI-P3 color space but uses a different white point which directly affects displays and devices.
• Rec.709: The color space for high-definition television (HDTV). It provides a color baseline for all content being created for those formats to ensure consistency and representation.

Color accuracy is important because it directly affects every aspect of photography and design. The colors captured on camera need to match the colors on the monitor, and the colors in designs need to match the intended outcome. During the creation or editing process, if the colors are not accurate then what you’re seeing on the screen is not a correct representation of the color itself and can negatively affect the entire projector. There are two main pieces to the importance of color accuracy: Visible Colors and Realistic Colors.

Visible Colors are the colors the human eye is capable of seeing and processing accurately. All the colors captured in an image are colors we can see, but the monitor they’re edited on needs to be color-accurate so we can see and process the colors accurately.

Realistic Colors are the colors that are achievable naturally. If a monitor is not color accurate or hasn’t been calibrated, the colors being seen will be faded or drastically different from the realistic version of that color.

From the start of a project to the end, color accuracy plays the most important role in creative works for photographers, designers, and other fields. Check the monitor specifications for the color space ranges and work with confidence that’s supported by a color-accurate monitor. 

At BenQ, we strive to reproduce accurate colors in every one of our professional photography monitors. AQCOLOR, a proprietary technology developed by BenQ, is built on meeting industrial standards, emphasizing display details, and providing an out-of-the-box guarantee. With color coverage of up to Delta E ≤ 2, 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB, and 98% P3 coverage, BenQ AQCOLOR monitors provide the best overall color accuracy available. Monitor capabilities are backed by third-party qualifications such as a Pantone Validated Certificate and Calman certification. The goal is to create products that will deliver on the promise of “Colors You Can Trust” and empower creative professionals in every aspect of their work.

Join the AQCOLOR Community and get the color accuracy you need with BenQ PhotoVue Monitors and DesignVue Monitors, backed by AQCOLOR technology and Paper Color Sync, guaranteeing color accuracy from screen to print. If you’re a student, take advantage of our special student offer here to get great quality for a great price. Additionally, SW and PD series purchasers and existing owners can get one FREE year of the new Pantone Connect Premium to bring the benefits of your smart device to your computer.