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CRT vs LCD for graphic design


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CRT vs LCD for graphic design
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pmazer
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
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2005-06-11, 22:00

I'm currently in the market for a monitor, and want something good for graphic design (but I am an amateur, so I can't really rationalize spending too much). I would like to spend in the $200-$300 range, but would be willing to go outside of that slightly if I absolutely have to (no Apple Cinema displays). Also, I'm thinking the size should probably be no less than 17"

I've heard that CRTs have better color quality, but that LCDs are rapidly catching up. What would you suggest for me, and if you could, do you have a specific monitor in mind?
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usurp
High Monarch of MacDebate
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Kuwait
 
2005-06-12, 05:51

i use a Lacie CRT, its not a Barco but its great.
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Brad
Selfish Heathen
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
 
2005-06-12, 12:01

My five-year-old NEC CRT still beats the pants off any LCD I've seen for response and color correctness. If you work in the creative field and color is critical for your work, a good CRT will still cost you a fraction of an equivalent LCD.

See this thread:
The Authoritative LCDs for Color Critical Work Thread

In your price range, you won't find any great LCDs. Unless you have a really critical eye, though, you don't need a great LCD and a $200 screen should do you just fine.

The quality of this board depends on the quality of the posts. The only way to guarantee thoughtful, informative discussion is to write thoughtful, informative posts. AppleNova is not a real-time chat forum. You have time to compose messages and edit them before and after posting.
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dviant
Lord of the Spoiler
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lost
 
2005-06-12, 15:01

LCD color reproduction, brightness and viewable angles has gotten much better but for $200-300 I think I'd go for CRT. We have some Lacie CRTs at work that are decent but no idea how much they are now. They were the kind that came with the color calibrator, but you'll skip that if you're on a tight budget. In the years past Sony was always a good bet for CRT but no idea how they stack up today. I still have an old Sony Trinitron 200PS upstairs that works perfectly.

"Color correctness" is so relative though. In a typical design house setting where you are likely to use a variety of vendors/presses on any given day it's still a crap shoot regardless of how fancy your monitor is. Meaning that it's highly unlikely that you'll be using the proper Color Profile Settings for all the devices your work will be printed on in the first place.

Adding some Pantone guides to your budget would probably do more for your color consistancy than any monitor.

Shhhh, I can't see!
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Dorian Gray
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
 
2005-06-12, 21:00

For a photo editor, colour accuracy is pretty important unless you're good enough (i.e. experienced enough) to work "by numbers". I'm extremely picky with my photographs, and I still use a CRT for working with those. For general graphic design colour accuracy isn't quite as important.

Although I'm still a fan of CRT monitors for photography (at least if money is a concern), for anything else it's really hard to argue against an LCD these days. They are so much easier on the eyes that going back to CRT for general use would be unimaginable in my case. As for a particular model, I recently got this display for a relative's soon-to-arrive Mac mini. I hooked it up to her old PC and the quality is really pretty nice (check the reviews at the bottom of that page). It would probably be more than adequate for general graphic design, and you can't argue with the price. I'm not sure if it's available where you live (I'm in the UK).

As a general rule, 17-inch monitors seem much better value than the 19-inch screens to me. Both tend to have 1280 x 1024 resolution, and 19 inches seems excessive to me for that resolution. If you have the cash, the 23-inch ACD is a beautiful choice worth every penny, but if you don't, don't feel that you'll necessarily get a low quality screen. LCDs have improved a lot in the last two years.
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pmazer
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2005-06-12, 23:40

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorian Gray
For a photo editor, colour accuracy is pretty important unless you're good enough (i.e. experienced enough) to work "by numbers". I'm extremely picky with my photographs, and I still use a CRT for working with those. For general graphic design colour accuracy isn't quite as important.
I should have probably said that I'm photo person first, and I want to start getting into general design. I'm not very good at design, but I enjoy it, so I think that I can learn.

So, I'm mainly starting to lean toward CRTs, and probably the Lacie 19", though it seems a bit expensive. Any other suggestions?
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