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troyjack
Inspiring
September 15, 2025
Answered

UI Scaling and Interface Font Size Options

  • September 15, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 272 views

Photoshop's UI is way too small on Mac, and is wreaking havoc on my eyesight when switching between programs.

The UI font size in preferences/settings is on Large, and is still nowhere near as large or visible as the interfaces in Indesign and Illustrator, which are set to small/medium.

The UI scaling pref is grayed out and I can't seem to find a way to make it active. Mac OS display settings is set to Default 2560 x 1440.

Why is Photoshop unable to acheive the same UI scaling that Indesign and Illustrator are capable of?

Correct answer creative explorer

@troyjack In theory, there is a reason why Illustrator and InDesign are set up differently than say Photoshop. Illustrator and InDesign are designed to be print-centric and can scale everything at once. Photoshop is fundamentally pixel-centric, and its scaling is restricted to prevent misrepresentation of the image's actual pixel size.

You could try this on your MAC, I do this on my end, because well, I need to do with my 'old man eyes!' — Simply go to System Preferences and navigate to Displays. Under the Resolution section, switch from the "Default for Display" setting to the Scaled option. Your current 2560×1440 setting provides sharp but tiny UI elements, so you need to select one of the lower-resolution choices, often labeled as "Larger Text" (which simulates a resolution like 1920×1080 or 1600×900). This action forces macOS, and consequently Photoshop, to render all UI elements larger, making the interface immediately more visible and consistent with your other Adobe programs.

1 reply

creative explorer
Community Expert
creative explorerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
October 1, 2025

@troyjack In theory, there is a reason why Illustrator and InDesign are set up differently than say Photoshop. Illustrator and InDesign are designed to be print-centric and can scale everything at once. Photoshop is fundamentally pixel-centric, and its scaling is restricted to prevent misrepresentation of the image's actual pixel size.

You could try this on your MAC, I do this on my end, because well, I need to do with my 'old man eyes!' — Simply go to System Preferences and navigate to Displays. Under the Resolution section, switch from the "Default for Display" setting to the Scaled option. Your current 2560×1440 setting provides sharp but tiny UI elements, so you need to select one of the lower-resolution choices, often labeled as "Larger Text" (which simulates a resolution like 1920×1080 or 1600×900). This action forces macOS, and consequently Photoshop, to render all UI elements larger, making the interface immediately more visible and consistent with your other Adobe programs.

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    adept_panther4581
    Participant
    October 2, 2025

    Thank you for the tip!

    I switched my monitor to 2048x1152 and it's much better, though I did have to spend some time readjusting my other apps, workspaces, and interfaces to correspond with the new scaling. But it is MUCH better now. Thanks again!

    T
    troyjackAuthor
    Inspiring
    October 2, 2025

    Oops I accidentally posted that reply under my work account  

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