Skip to main content
B
bcdavis1975
Known Participant
August 25, 2017
Answered

Using High resolution displays

  • August 25, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 7278 views

Hi.

I recently bought a iMac 2017 5k desktop.  This is my first experience with a display with so many pixels.  But I feel like I'm missing something... If I crank the resolution up to the max, apps (lightroom included), become virtually unusable becasue the interface is so small. 

OSX dispolay setting has a dumbed down interface to either "make room" or "make thing bigger".  But I'm guessing that simply increasing/decreasing display resolution???

So my question is... what am I missing?  Is there a way to get apps to have a familiar scale why having the monitor run at it's max resolution?

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Conrad_C

I found a good explanation, with visual comparisons, in this article:

iMac With Retina 5K Display Review: Do Those Extra Pixels Really Matter?

The visual examples include Lightroom.

It's a confusing topic. Both the "maximum" resolution and the "default" resolution use 5120 x 2880 pixels. The difference is that the "default" resolution is displaying as if it was 2560 x 1440, but with double the detail. This is shown in the macro example further down in the linked article.

You're actually always running the Retina display at its "maximum resolution" in that every individual hardware pixel is being addressed at every setting. The only difference is the pixel density/clarity of the content and the UI. As explained in the article, the UI can be scaled independently of the content. The UI is shown at the "scaled" resolution so that you can read it, while the content is shown at the full hardware pixel resolution. This is why you can have the third comparison in the linked article, where text appears to be the same size on both displays, but obviously 2x sharper on the Retina display at its "default" resolution.

bcdavis1975  wrote

I would think, in an ideal universe, you'd want to be able to run your display at it's maximum resolution but "scale" the OS and application interfaces to the desires relative amount of real estate/readability.  If I understand you correct... that's not what's happening when you adjust Apple's "scaling" options.

Yes, that's what they're after, and that's what the examples should show. Content is always shown at full resolution so that hardware pixels aren't wasted, while UI is scaled for readability and is visibly sharper when shown at the same physical size as on a low-resolution display. Misunderstandings seem to come out of an assumption that the system "scaled" resolutions aren't showing detail at the level of the hardware pixels, but they are.

2 replies

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 28, 2017

bcdavis1975  wrote

OSX dispolay setting has a dumbed down interface to either "make room" or "make thing bigger".  But I'm guessing that simply increasing/decreasing display resolution???

If you want the non-dumbed-down version, try holding down the Option key while clicking Scaled. [Edit: I'm not sure if that works on the built-in display.]

Which version of Lightroom are you using? The current version should show a normally scaled UI on a Retina display. The UI in older versions might appear too small.

Also, if this is your first Retina Mac, you should understand how a Retina display is supposed to work. While the hardware resolution of the 5K iMac is 5120 x 2880 pixels, you do not want to set it to that number. The additional pixels are not there to provide more working area, they're there to provide more detail per inch — just like print. The default working resolution of the 5K iMac is 2560 x 1440 at 2x; in other words, twice as much detail as a non-Retina 2560 x 1440 display.

If you adjust the resolution in the Displays preference, what you're doing is deciding on how much you want to trade off having more working area versus seeing finer detail.

B
bcdavis1975Author
Known Participant
August 28, 2017

Hi Conrad.  Thanks for the reply!

If you want the non-dumbed-down version, try holding down the Option key while clicking Scaled. [Edit: I'm not sure if that works on the built-in display.]

Which version of Lightroom are you using? The current version should show a normally scaled UI on a Retina display. The UI in older versions might appear too small.

Yes the option key does work on the built in display as well.  I'm using the latest iteration of Lightroom CC...whatever that is.

Also, if this is your first Retina Mac, you should understand how a Retina display is supposed to work. While the hardware resolution of the 5K iMac is 5120 x 2880 pixels, you do not want to set it to that number. The additional pixels are not there to provide more working area, they're there to provide more detail per inch — just like print. The default working resolution of the 5K iMac is 2560 x 1440 at 2x; in other words, twice as much detail as a non-Retina 2560 x 1440 display.

...now I think your getting to heart of my question.  Can you tell me why you wouldn't want to run you monitor at it's maximum resolution?  Doesn't running it at lower resolutions defeat the purpose? To your point, if I want the maximum detail per inch (DPI) when editing /reviewing pictures in lightroom, why would I want to run the monitor 2560 x 1440 v 5120 x 2880?

If you adjust the resolution in the Displays preference, what you're doing is deciding on how much you want to trade off having more working area versus seeing finer detail.

OK.  So "scaling" is the thing that's confusing me.  The "dumbed down" option in display preferences are not scaling the program interface, they are simply reducing/increasing screen resolution correct?

I would think, in an ideal universe, you'd want to be able to run your display at it's maximum resolution but "scale" the OS and application interfaces to the desires relative amount of real estate/readability.  If I understand you correct... that's not what's happening when you adjust Apple's "scaling" options.

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 28, 2017

I found a good explanation, with visual comparisons, in this article:

iMac With Retina 5K Display Review: Do Those Extra Pixels Really Matter?

The visual examples include Lightroom.

It's a confusing topic. Both the "maximum" resolution and the "default" resolution use 5120 x 2880 pixels. The difference is that the "default" resolution is displaying as if it was 2560 x 1440, but with double the detail. This is shown in the macro example further down in the linked article.

You're actually always running the Retina display at its "maximum resolution" in that every individual hardware pixel is being addressed at every setting. The only difference is the pixel density/clarity of the content and the UI. As explained in the article, the UI can be scaled independently of the content. The UI is shown at the "scaled" resolution so that you can read it, while the content is shown at the full hardware pixel resolution. This is why you can have the third comparison in the linked article, where text appears to be the same size on both displays, but obviously 2x sharper on the Retina display at its "default" resolution.

bcdavis1975  wrote

I would think, in an ideal universe, you'd want to be able to run your display at it's maximum resolution but "scale" the OS and application interfaces to the desires relative amount of real estate/readability.  If I understand you correct... that's not what's happening when you adjust Apple's "scaling" options.

Yes, that's what they're after, and that's what the examples should show. Content is always shown at full resolution so that hardware pixels aren't wasted, while UI is scaled for readability and is visibly sharper when shown at the same physical size as on a low-resolution display. Misunderstandings seem to come out of an assumption that the system "scaled" resolutions aren't showing detail at the level of the hardware pixels, but they are.

B
bcdavis1975Author
Known Participant
August 28, 2017

Anyone?

Abambo
Community Expert
AbamboCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 28, 2017

how about asking this in an Apple forum?

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
B
bcdavis1975Author
Known Participant
August 28, 2017

Hi Abambo.  In fact I did that as well as contacting Apple support directly.  Neither have led to answer.  Moreover, the question really has to do with the app as much as the OS and it's behavior when being used on a high DPI screen--At least I think it does.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices