sRGB (standard Red Green Blue) is a colour space, or set of rules, that standardises how colours are displayed on screens. It was created by Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft in 1996 to ensure that colours look the same whether you're viewing them on a monitor, laptop, or smartphone.
Every screen displays colour by mixing red, green, and blue light in different intensities. Without a standard, the same image might look completely different on different devices. sRGB solves this by defining exactly how bright each colour should be and how they should blend together. Think of it as a universal language that lets your devices agree on what "red" actually means.
You'll encounter sRGB when buying displays, especially if you work with photos, videos, or design. Many consumer monitors cover 100% of the sRGB colour gamut, which means they can display every colour in the sRGB standard accurately. Professional monitors often cover wider colour spaces like Adobe RGB or DCI-P3, giving designers access to more colours, but sRGB remains the baseline for web content and everyday use.
When shopping for a display, look for a specification showing sRGB colour gamut coverage. A monitor claiming 95% to 100% sRGB coverage is reliable for general use, photo editing, and video work. If you're buying a budget screen for everyday browsing, you don't need to worry about sRGB; most modern displays handle it fine by default. However, if accurate colour matters for your work, checking the sRGB specification helps you pick a screen that won't disappoint.