Optimum Monitor Resolutions and Image Sizes?

[Mike Phillips]

Optimum Monitor Resolutions and Image Sizes?

Okay, here's a chance for some of you Techie type people to impart your wisdom!


Perhaps someone can shed some light on the subject of choosing the right settings for Computer Monitor Resolutions as well as a good balance for image size based upon the the accepted most common resolution being used by the majority of people on the Internet.

There must be some statistics on what people are using, and there must be a method to the madness to dial in the correct and best resolution setting for each person's computer monitor.

For example, right now I have a 22" ViewSonic and my resolution setting at 1280 x 1024 and while I can see everything just fine, type is a little small compared to what I was used to a the screen setting of 1024 x 768

Can someone shed some light on these two topics and offer some suggestions?

Thanks!

[Superior Shine]

I would like to know out of these two pics which size does everybody perfer? Thanks

1-




2-

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Joe,

I've take jbirks advice and changed my resolution to 1600 by 1200 and then also changed the DPI settings and restarted my computer.

So for me and what I'm seeing, I like image 2

[Mike Phillips]

Looking at the properties for each image and checking them against my handy dandy JR Screen Rule

http://www.spadixbd.com/freetools/jruler.htm

The first picture measures in at around 650 pixels while in the properties box it says it's 512 pixels wide?




The second picture shows to be about 1280 pixels wide yet the properties box states it to be 1024 pixels wide?

[Mike Phillips]

Okay, now what's going on?

I saved Joe's large image to my hard drive and then opened it up and placed it on top of the image shown in the thread. The image in the thread is larger than the original displayed over the top of it?

I took a screen shot to show the difference...

[Mike Phillips]

A quick google search found this helpful site...

http://www.hitmill.com/html/screen.html

[Jbirk]

Let me go at it.

First, there are two types of monitors. There are your Traditional CRT and newer LCD (flat) monitors.

Regardless of monitor type, you can choose many different resolutions.

The lowest setting is VGA 640 x 480, and you usually can't choose that unless you have a broken video driver or you go to safe-mode.

Typically, You are given choices of 800 x 600 all the way up to 1600 x 1200. I know there are some widescreens, and some monitors that will go over 1600 x 1200, but these are very rare.

Most people have your typical 4:3 ratio monitors not the 16:10 widescreens.

The breakdown of 4:3 is as follows:
640 x 480 (Not used unless computer messed up or very old)
800 x 600 (Used to be popular now not so much)
1024 x 768 (Most people fit right here unless they just bought a new computer or flat-panel)
1280 x 1024 (Typically LCD Monitors 15" to 19")
1600 x 1200 (Many expensive Flat Panels 17" and above allow this which makes for a very crisp picture)

A picture of 700 x 500 will take up most of the display when running 800 x 600 as it will leave only a little free space.

On 1600 x 1200 display it will take up only about 1/4 of the display




I have found that resolution should be set based on monitor size. For example, an old 15" CRT will look best at 800 x 600. A 17" CRT usually looks best at 1024 x 760.

LCD Monitors always look best at their Native Resolution (Maximum Setting) this is because each pixel becomes independent and thus you have no fuzzy mathematical resizes. The text will become extremely sharp at the native resolution!!


The Problem

When you are running high resolutions, you will have a lot of space too much in fact! For instance if you put 30 icons on a desktop of a 1600 x 1200 display it doesn't look nearly as bad as it would on a 1024 x 768 display. However, everything becomes too small.


The Solution

The easiest fix is to change the DPI settings to make everything 125% bigger while keeping your Native Resolution. Another possible fix is to add a second monitor (may require an additional video card) and run it at a different resolution. Then you can view pictures on one side and read text on the other.

I recommend changing the DPI to 120, which is 125% of 96.
Here is how to do it.

1. Go to your Display Properties. You can get here through the control panel, or you can simply right click on your Desktop and select Properties.




2. You now see the Themes tab of the Display Properties. Click on the Settings tab.



3. Now in the Settings tab, you will see your Display or Displays if you have more than one Display (monitor). You can individually select them if you have multiple displays. Clicking Identify Identifies which one is 1 and which is 2.

Here you can set the Screen resolution, primary monitor (#1), and Color Depth (we all know more vivid clear color looks better)...

Click on Advanced as shown in this picture:



4. Here is where we set our DPI setting. In the General tab of the Advanced settings. The default is 96 DPI. If we set 120 DPI everything becomes 125% the size it once was. There are only 2 problems and both are minor. Sometimes applications don't display perfect at 120 DPI because they will make a window that is assumed to be the correct size for 96 but then draw everything at 120. However, everything usually works fine and you can always change back if you don't like the setting. The next part is just an annoyance... you are forced to reboot to apply the DPI setting.

Here is the Picture:


5. Next, if we have a CRT (big boxy monitor) and it seems to flicker a little bit and the slight flicker bothers you, you can adjust the Screen Refresh Rate (Number of Times Per Second the screen is drawn). I have found 60 to be too slow and flicker while 75 looks rock solid. If you pick a really big number like 100 Hertz, sometimes a CRT will become blurry and work a bit too hard. 60hz and 75 hz are pretty standard. Just don't un-check the box "Hide modes this monitor cannot display"

If you choose a mode the monitor cannot display, you will get a message on the monitor saying "Out of Range" and in that case don't touch but wait. Windows will be asking if you to click yes to a dialog you can't see. By not doing anything, it will assume you cannot see anything and change your settings back. Just don't hit enter or press Y to select yes on an incompatible mode. You will then need a lesson in booting in VGA Mode or Safe-Mode to change your settings to get video again.

Here is a Picture. BTW, on LCD monitors just leave it alone. The picture does not noticeably flicker or wobble. They are perfect at there default even if that is 60 hz.

Here is the picture:



6. Finally, if you choose to have multiple monitors, you do this simply by adding another one to your computer. You will need to ensure you have a second video port to plug another monitor in before you get a second monitor, or you will need to get an additional video card to add another monitor jack to your computer.

Essentially, you connect the second monitor and Then Windows Detects it. You should see 2 displays. If not you can reboot. Depending on your video card(s) you sometimes have to go into their settings and select " Dual View" or something similar. If you look in my picture you see GeForce FX Go5200 (That is an Nvidia card. If you have an ATI card or a different Nvidia or other card it will look a bit different, but the settings will be very similar. Sometimes, you do not have to do anything with the video cards as everything just works.

However, now that Windows knows we have a second monitor, we need to tell it how to use it!

We do this by clicking the second monitor or selecting it from the Display drop-down box and then checking the "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor."

This will tell windows to extend your desktop beyond monitor 1.

It is pretty cool because you can drag a window across your monitors and when you hit Maximize or whatever Windows knows which monitor it is on and acts appropriately. You can also watch a movie on one and work on the other, or do word processing on one side and research in the other... it is well worth having 2 monitors In My Opinion.

Here is the setting:


Another thing you can do if you have kids is play 2 movies one on each monitor, but it is kind of complicated avoiding mixing the sound. Point is you will enjoy two monitors and it solves many problems.

I hope someone somewhere found this post helpful.

I would advise keeping pictures to no larger than something a little smaller than 800 x 600 or so because then anyone can see it. Keep in mind web browsers have toolbars which take up space too, so be considerate in picture size.

In practice, you should be able to go close to 1024 x 768 because most people run that resolution. Keep all pictures a bit less than that though. I am not going to post any pictures bigger than 700 x 500 to be considerate of people running low resolution.

[rusty bumper]

Personally, I like the larger picture (#2), as it shows more detail. But I also have to scroll to see it since I have a smaller monitor.

I tried changing my video properties like Jbirk mentioned above, but it just wasn't to my liking with this outdated monitor.

700 to 800 pixel photos work fine for me. I just have to scroll to the right a little in order to see the whole photo at 800 pixels.

I'll go with whatever the majority wants though.

[Elite M.D.]

#2 is perfect for me.

[Mark McGuire]

#2 looks very good for me. (19" LCD)

[another_geek]

#2 works for me but my setup is non-standard. I run dual 21" LCDs at 1600x1200 so my desktop is actually 3200x1200.

[MandarinaRacing]

I like the second one, bigger is better ...I don't mind scrolling

Alex

[Mike Phillips]

Well I've tried every setting for my monitor and so far the only one that really works well is the 1024 x 768

It's would appear to be a fairly good monitor?

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktopdisplays/crtmonitors/graphicseries/g220f/index.htm

[Jbirk]

Appears fine. Nothing wrong with that monitor in the picture.

With CRT monitors like the one mentioned, often times you just select the most comfortable resolution. They always scale correctly and text looks no better/worse at any given resolution unless it gets too small to see.

With LCD monitors, you should select the native resolution.

Here is my LCD:

http://www.princetongraphics.com/product_vl1918.htm

My other LCD is on my Laptop.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Jbirk
Appears fine. Nothing wrong with that monitor in the picture.

With CRT monitors like the one mentioned, often times you just select the most comfortable resolution. They always scale correctly and text looks no better/worse at any given resolution unless it gets too small to see.

This is the conclusion I've come to as I tried every combination and I'm back to where I was in the beginning.

Thanks for all the information you provided, I'm sure this will help others now and into the future.