Fonts look pixelated

[Steven Boland]

When connecting my MacBook Air M2 2022 to my Thunderbolt 27 inch display small type does not render properly as it did when I worked om my 27 inch IMac. All the display settings are set to maximum. Compared to Photoshop it seems Photoshop does a better job. As can be seen in the screenshot. Left is InDesign. Any ideas? Note that the font in Photoshop is not a rendered image.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

What are the resolutions of the monitors? Physical size is only part of the equation. 

[Steven Boland]

I guess when the two are on the same screen this should not be the issue, but the display is set at 2560x1440.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

That sounds like your internal display resolution. What are the external monitor resolutions?

[Steven Boland]

Explain 'external monitor resolutions', is there a problem with the MacBook Airs resolution? That has 2560x1664. I selected the Thunderbolt as my main screen.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

When you have an external monitor attached, it will have its own resolution. Your display settings should show a dialog box on each monitor. 

[Steven Boland]

That does not explain the difference in behaviour between InDesign and Photoshop on one and the same monitor.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

What's the size and resolution of your Photoshop file?

[Steven Boland]

Size in photoshop is not relevant because the type is not yet converted to pixels, it only serves to show that the screen animation of the type behaves differently in Photoshop compared to InDesign. I have 30+ years of experience in looking at type on screen. Its like being set back to around 1999. Its weird because any other program like Safari or what have you seems to have no problem rendering tiny typefaces on screen. 

[Steven Boland]

[Steven Boland]