Why You Want to Use Display Scaling
The Windows 10 display scaling system adjusts the size of text, icons, and navigation elements to make a computer easier for people to see and use. You can adjust the display scaling for your Windows 10 device, as well as for any external displays. For example, an adjustment to display scaling can transform a display from one with small text that is difficult to read into a screen that is easier to see. Scaling may also make it less challenging to open, run, and use apps on a projected display. The Windows 10 display scaling system selects the size based on several factors, such as the built-in display resolution, the dimensions of the screen, and the anticipated distance from the screen. The distance from the screen, for example, assumes that a laptop display will be closer to a viewer’s eyes than an external monitor and that a projected display will be viewed at an even greater distance.
How to Turn on Display Scaling in Windows 10
To adjust Windows 10 display scaling requires that you choose a scaling percentage. Here’s how.
How to Adjust Scaling for Multiple Displays or Custom Sizes
You can adjust display scaling for your main display and connected displays. Place your cursor and select the rectangle for the display you want to scale, such as display 1 or display 2, etc. You can adjust scaling for each display separately. Select Advanced scaling settings to adjust scaling from the standard 100% to as much as 500%. In this setting screen, you may manually enter a custom scaling size. However, different scaling settings will work better on different displays. In some cases, you may see blurry characters, words that are cut off, or text too large or small for a specific space. Older programs, in particular, may not fully support modern Windows 10 display scaling features. The Advanced scaling settings also give you access to an additional setting that will ”Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry.” However, this adjustment only applies to your main display, not any external displays.
Troubleshooting Display Scaling in Windows 10
Not all apps scale well, especially on high-resolution displays, also known as high DPI (dots per inch) displays. Follow these steps to override Windows display scaling settings for a specific app. If you’ve installed custom graphics hardware and software, you might not be able to adjust display scaling within the Windows system settings. Third-party software that controls a graphics card, for example, may take precedence over Windows system display settings. You can often access and adjust third-party graphics software from your Windows system tray (typically found in the lower right corner of your screen).
