21" and Up Monitors: Bigger is better
Monitor prices are always dropping. If you can afford it and if your desk offers enough room, I'd recommend looking at 19"-21" monitors. If desktop space is tight, consider flat-panel displays either as your main display or as a second monitor.
Even with falling monitor prices, a quality, large display is still a major purchase. There are 21" displays under $1000, $500, even under $100 but as with any major peripheral, price doesn't tell the whole story. Compare features first, price last. For desktop publishing, good color display is a major consideration.
If you routinely work with newsletters and other vertically oriented documents, a portrait display monitor can reduce scrolling and give you a more realistic on-screen view of your work-in-progress. Pivoting monitors give you a portrait or landscape view of your screen.
Multiple Monitors: Now showing on two screens
Multiple monitors make comparing documents and program switching easier than ever. When I first upgraded to Windows 98 (eons ago) I decided to take advantage of its ability to use multiple monitors. In addition to my 17" monitor I had a second smaller monitor sitting to my left. I used it to hold my email window and sometimes a chat window or text editor. Another bonus -- if I wanted to see what a Web page would look like on a smaller screen at a lower resolution, I simply dragged my browser window over to the second monitor for a quick check.
If quality is not a big issue, pick up an older or used monitor at online auctions, computer outlets, or Goodwill or similar discount stores. I found a perfectly good older model 20" monitor at Goodwill for $200 back when that was an unheard of price for even smaller displays. It had its quirks but nothing I couldn't live with for that price. Buying used computer equipment isn't for the faint of heart but it can save you big bucks if you aren't determined to always have the best and newest equipment. If you go the upgrade route, don't ditch your old monitor -- keep it around and increase your screen space beyond the limits of that new display.
Double Display for Desktop Publishing Guide: The view from my desk...
I've had a large monitor and multiple monitors. Now I'm enjoying a Philips flat panel pivoting portrait monitor (purchased in 2002) sitting in portrait mode alongside a 21" Dell Trinitron, picked up in early 2006 at a local discount computer store for just $59.00. The view is great for desktop publishing, writing, Web surfing, and games too.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2007: I no longer have my pivoting portrait monitor and I've ditched the behemoth 21" CRT in favor of a 19" LCD and a 20" widescreen LCD. Yet even with this nice stretch of screen real estate I'm mentally measuring my desktop to see if a third display will fit. Explore these ways to use multiple monitors in desktop publishing -- featuring photos of my own dual setup.
