Are LCD monitors suitable for web graphics/ design?

[imported_georgec]

I just got a Dell 19" E193FP LCD monitor, which is overall OK (analog interface). My main problem apart from the limited viewing angle is that for certain light shades of color, it seems to be way off in its interpretation. I've tried modifying all the settings (color, contrast etc) with no avail. I've read quite a lot of reviews on multipe LCD monitors that seem to show they have trouble accurately rendering some colors compared to CRT. Is this true in general of most current generation LCD screens?

Thanks,

 

[Falloutboy]

yeah as long as you not planning on printing your work professionaly you should be fine, granted its not going to be as acurate color wise as a CRT but I see no problems if its just for web use

 

[imported_georgec]

Well, since I do web design, the colors need to be accurate for me. Otherwise, it's like working while blind. The E193FP is a problem for me, and I need to check a color selection (ie: for a table or background) using a CRT again to get the true color.

 

[forpe]

Although LCD is more practical and can give better definition, when mine is next to my friend's CRT, I'm always disappointed by my colours.

I've seen a lot of LCDs and they all seem to suffer the same problem, they are always slightly washed out compared to CRT, no matter how expensive you go or how much you fiddle with the settings.

Although it feels slightly backward, I think you are better off with CRT, especially for your requirements.

 

[chebyrashka]

I think LCD's are fine for web work. Keep in mind when you are doing web pages, unlike print, you have a lot less control of what the user sees. A lot of people browse the web with LCD's and so they are probably used to seeing washed out colors and more. I know one web designer who designs on one of the crappiest monitors I've seen because he knows if it looks good on his screen, it will probably look better elsewhere.

Just get a somewhat decent LCD monitor and I wouldn't worry about it. For print its more troublesome.

 

[McArra]

I've compared my LCD with a CRT and seemed very good, just as good as the CRT. Anyways when I install video drivers I always have to decrease the red contrast in the color correction panel to see acurate colors. I'm using a BenQ 767-12 and I'm very very satisfied.

 

[sunase]

Review of an LCD that tries to address the color accuracy problem (expensive, though):
http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=919

 

[mysticfm]

If people are going to view your graphics over the web while using displays of varying color accuracy, that is all the MORE reason to create the graphics on a system where you are seeing the true color. If you create a graphic on a display that (for example) de-empasized the blue color channel, then you are going to tend to push the blues harder to "make it look good". Then, if a user views the graphic on a web page via a display that over-emphasized the blue channel, guess what? They will see something that's ridiculously blue-shifted, WAY off from what was intended by the creator.

This is the same reason that music is mixed using speakers with as flat of a frequency response as possible. Even though almost none of the stereos that will be used by consumers to play the recording are anywhere close to flat in their response, that just makes it even more important that the original mix be as neutral as possible, to avoid having the mix skew WAY off kilter on some end users' audio systems. Graphics should be treated in the same way, IMO.

There are a couple of LCDs in my household in addition to one fairly good CRT (Mitsubishi DP930SB), and my CRT absolutely smokes the LCDs in the area of color reproduction. Personally, I'd never consider creating graphics for any professional or even semi-pro purpose on any of the LCDs I've seen. I hope there are some high-end LCDs that do a reasonable job here, but I dare say that they aren't going for a price anywhere close to the $269 that my ABSOLUTELY ROCKING CRT came to my doorstep for.

 

[imported_georgec]

Thanks guys for the responses. I guess this is an issue with most LCDs currently out there, which is disappointing. I wonder how the Sony LCDs with xBrite perform? Someone mentioned the BenQ 767 as being decent at color reproduction, and I was actually thinking of getting that one before I went with Dell instead (due to a sale). Oh well, this LCD still looks quite good apart from the aforementioned issue and the text not being 100% crisp, probably due to the analog interface.

 

[batmanuel]

Have you tried calibrating your flat panel with a Colorvision Spyder? They are pricey, but worth it if you are doing design work.