150% UI Scaling Option for Photoshop

[Alexander Wong]

I'd been trying to get some feedback from the guys at Adobe regarding this, but seems like no one has seen or heard this pleas. I'm currently using a Surface Pro 3 to work on Photoshop, and while I really appreciate the fact that Adobe introduced the 200% scaling option, it's really too big to do anything productively. It's definitely usable, but is it the best scaling? I would really hope 150% scaling option to be added as well. So we could toggle between it base on our preference.

What do you guys think?

[JJMack]

I believe a new UI scaling design is indeed needed. Scaling should also be per display not global like Adobe current UI scaling work.  All displays on my  machines do not have the same resolution.  That is how I get around Adobe's UI scaling Problems.  I doe not use Adobe 2X scaling I use municipal displays the have different Resolution.  I have Photoshop UI on low resolution displays and Edit My Image in Floating windows on my High resolution Displays.  The only Photoshop UI elements on my High resolution displays is the info in Floating Image windows frames.

screen capture

[Dabatross]

Its really sad that you need to have 3 monitors so 2 of them can just have the interface at a larger level. This should tell Adobe this needs to be fixed right now and not 3 years from now. STOP MAKING NEW FEATURES UNTIL THIS IS DEALT WITH, PLEASE.

[JJMack]

Two display will do fine. Adobe does not choose to fix all reported bugs.  I have CS2, CS6, CC, CC 2014, CC 2015, CC 2015.5 and CC 2017 installed there are some bugs that are in every one to those versions.  Most user will never be bitten by them. So Adobe chooses not to fix them.  Adobe I believe will always be evolving Photoshop and Photoshop will always have bugs that some users will need to work around for Adobe will never fix them. Adobe will not STOP....

[Dabatross]

this isn't a bug, its something they need to fix for the future of displays. This is a usability problem, a bug would be like the crop tool doesn't work. I think they've delayed this long enough, if they are fixing it right now thats great but it would be better to hear what is going on rather than just being put in the dark waiting around to see what they are working on.

[JJMack]

Actually both.  The feature does not have a 1.5X scaling option and the feature has bugs.  So the feature does not have and option you and others desire to make it more usable as well as having bugs.   The feature need a new design.   Adobe will not stop making changes and Adobe will even add bugs when they feel its better for Photoshop to do something wrong. Sounds crazy but that is reality when it come to Adobe.

[Dabatross]

I agree and I wish Jeff would chime in here letting us know what is going on with this. I saw they just released an update on CC for Photoshop but still nothing when it comes to this.

[JJMack]

Jeff works for Adobe and he may not be allowed too because of some Adobe policy.  Adobe normally does not make plans or scheduled public. This is not an unusual policy for corporations to have.

[NumbGnat]

Actually, this is pretty irresponsible of Adobe.  Windows has UI and font scaling BUILT IN for Accessibility reasons.  Why don't they just scrap their own "custom" scaling junk and let Windows handle the scaling like most other software does?  Obviously some items can't necessarily be scaled (i.e. the photo you're working on), but most of the UI can be.

As a software developer myself, I have often found this frustrating when a particular piece of software doesn't simply conform to the Windows UI and Font Scaling settings to begin with.  This requirement should be part of the "Microsoft Certified" program (do they still do that?)

I used to be one of those people that ran my laptop in the highest resolution and smallest text possible, to take advantage of as much real-estate as I could.  I'm older now and can't do that anymore, however I still run in the highest resolution possible, I simply adjust Windows' UI and Font Scaling so that it works for me.  This makes the display crisp and sharp, taking advantage of the native pixel-per-pixel resolution of the monitor.

For a while, I had cataracts building up and needed to adjust my overall Windows display options to dark backgrounds and over-sized fonts.  It was very frustrating trying to use software that did not accommodate these OS level settings.  I've since had my cataracts removed and have hard lenses in their place, but as anyone else who has gone through this procedure can testify, perfect focus is designed at the 10 foot level and beyond.  Working on a laptop requires the use of "cheaters" or "readers" for up close focus.

Software should just let Windows handle the scaling of the UI elements such as window and dialog title bars and text.  Why any software wants to override what the user has chosen as their preferred colors/sizes/fonts/etc, is beyond me.  It makes for a very inconsistent user experience and it shows that your company doesn't give a rat's ass about the users' preferences.  SMH...

[JJMack]

You have it wrong.  You can use Windows scaling with Photoshop using external  manifest files for Photoshop.   However windows scaling does not just scale UI elements like you write.  Windows Scaling scales everything an application displays on a display being scaled for the application.   Adobe want to be able to use your display high-resolution editing your images.  With Windows scaling Photoshop will see your display as a lower resolution display and window will scale everything Photoshop displays to that lower resolution and display that scaled image on your high-resolution display.    Photoshop will not be able to use your displays high-resolution.

That is why Adobe's Photoshop manifest is coded the way it is. So Photoshop can use your display's high resolution.  The problem is  Adobe UI scaling has many issues.

This is also an Adobe Users forum users like you most here do not work for Adobe you are not dealing with Adobe here.  You are dealing with users that do care or users looking for help. I'm retired don't have any company ties.

[maximel5401426]

Fix the interface in Photoshop CC on Hi DPI Windows displays - YouTube

[Dabatross]

that fix doesn't work because it makes the interface blurred

[JJMack]

Dabatross  wrote

that fix doesn't work because it makes the interface blurred

Any scale UI will have some blurring  a lower resolution image will always be larger and softer, Also if you are scaling for a display  and the scaling percentage is not an even multiple of the displays resolution there will be distortion because of rounding.   2x, 3x, 4x will not be distorted they will just be larger and softer.  1.25x, 1.5x, 1,75x scaling can not be done perfect. For a display real resolution can not be changed use that is use different size pixels. Displays have on size pixels.   A display PPI can not change.

[Dabatross]

Yes when it comes to bitmap interfaces that's the case but not with vector elements. Like 125% scaling with windows enlarges all elements perfectly as long as they're vector, so all of the text looks crystal clear but some icons will look crappy. That's why photoshop needs an svg interface which I'm hoping they're working on

[JJMack]

What you wrote has not bearing when it come to display scaling.   If you have text and graphic elements that have to be render some size  with math you can calculate where vector points should be and the path of the line between the points.  That is true for sure.   However you may find some compromises  may have to be made it come to rendering the text and graphics with fixed size pixels that can not be altered using math.  Rendering is where the problem is not the math. It is still true the you should use Vector Graphics for your application UI.  However display images are rendered with pixel not vectors.  You can not scale and image rendered for one display PPI resolution and number of pixels for a display that has a different PPI may have a different aspect ratio and number of pixels or use vector graphics all you have are pixels for a raster image. You can scale the raster image.  Application render what is displayed on a display as pixels not as vectors they create a raster image.   Adobe 2X UI just scale the UI elements developed for 96PPI displays 2X uses 4x as many pixels. two wide two high. A perfect scale.

The way Windows display scaling works.  Is Windows tell the application that the displays has fewer pixels then it actually does.   The application renders pixels for the displays pixels. That it has been told it has.  In turn Windows scale the image to have more pixel so it will display larger on the display no Vector graphics is involved nor is ppi.   PPI is not used when it comes down to it.  A Display PPI is real it can not change  A display is some Physical size and has some number or real pixels all the same size the ppi they need to be to fill the display area.  There are many  size 4K displays the all have the same numbers of pixels they all do not have the same ppi resolution

[jamieb2008]

Sadly this is just what you get when you pay for everything on a subscription.

This is exactly the reason why they switched to the CC sub model in the first place: They can fix or ignore bugs at their own leisure (in addition to lack of content for a full release).

  High DPI UI-scaling is becoming an integrated feature in virtually all modern applications not just for working on mobile devices, but to accommodate higher res. monitors, adapt to the needs of multi-display setups and so forth.

In that context it's utterly laughable that Adobe would implement UI-scaling with a grand total of two options: 100% and 200%.

It's like handing someone a camera and telling them they have to take pictures either from 8 inches or 10 feet away...

(where's the eye-roll emoji?)

Sorry guys, 2+years to update this simple functionality feels like the subscription money bliss on the part of Adobe has caused them to put their feet up.

[donbarrum]

I agree, its laughable and utterly pathetic. The Photoshop PC team in Adobe must have some serious issues or lack of talent. How they managed to screw up the HiDPI UI so badly and not been able to fix it in almost 3 years is mind boggling. I don't think the Adobe team themselves actually understand what is not working with it...if they did, they would have fixed it immediately.

But, honestly its not about just giving us 2 options of size. There's shouldn't be an option of size in the first place.  It should just check the size of your screen and adapt accordingly. That how Photoshop is on the Mac and thats how ALL the other programs from Adobe behaves!!!! omg

It's just so freekin annooying that Adobe don't see that its not about how WIndows UI works or anything like that, they simply implemented it completely wrong in one program on one platform/OS...and in fact they should remove the entire feature until they do it the way it's suppose to be. Currently its just breaking the User experience completely. But I have given up believing it will ever be fixed, they just don't care.

[jamieb2008]

Yeah frankly it's embarrassing to even release it at all in its current state (from 3 years ago)

Should just simply remove it until they can figure out how to make an actual slider to scale the UI in say, increments of 10% or some such.

[dmatranga7]

@Adobe Any word on implementing this option?? Sure would be nice...

[JJMack]

You not dealing with Adone here. This is user forums funded by Adobe. Adobe also does not make public what is in their plains for applications or any release schedules for their Applications.

[Chris_Giclee]

As a FYI, this just popped into my mailbox:

" The Photoshop team has been listening to your many requests for better scaling options on Windows, and we’re happy to announce that we are ready for beta testing on this feature. Because of the large scale changes involved in this feature, we want to make sure people have the opportunity to test it out before it’s released.

All Windows customers are welcome to join and test, but please note that you will need to have Windows 10 Creators Edition installed in order to use the new continuously scalable user interface and per-monitor scaling. Windows 7, 8 and prior versions of Windows 10 will only support 100% and 200% - as the continuously scalable user interface requires APIs only available in Creators Edition.

If you would like to help the Adobe Photoshop team with the quality of this new feature, please visit the sign-up link to be considered for the program (scroll down to the Photoshop CSUI Program and click on Apply):

https://www.adobeprerelease.com/ "

This is from the 'Photoshop Family' community.

So, progress!

[Jeanne Rubbo]

I just came here to post this, but you beat me to it!

I am part of the team that has been working on this feature, and I encourage anyone who is unhappy with the current interface scaling in Photoshop to sign up for the Photoshop CSUI Program:

https://www.adobeprerelease.com/

We want to make sure to get this right for the many people who have been requesting this feature. This is a good chance to see what we've been working on and give feedback.

[margarett26271336]

When will this launch / ship?

[RonaldoLazaroPhotography]

I can't believe this hasn't been fixed in over 3 years and we need to participate in a program to request a feature that is already available on all other Adobe products, for 3 years people are saying 100% is too small, 200% is to big! Last night I upgraded my Photshop and the 150% is not avaible yet, we need to draw to Adobe understand it?

[xam_xaman]

Hey Guys,

Good morning! I got a solution for this. Please follow the below instruction to get correct UI scaling with the system default scaling.

1. Open your Adobe Photoshop CC 2017

2. Go to >> Edit Menu >> Preferences >> Interface >> then select UI Scaling 100% >> then click OK to close the window.

3. Now go to Start menu >> Find the Photoshop icon and then right click on the icon and click Properties >>  select Compatibility tab >> now enable "Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by:" System

4. Now click Apply button then click OK button to close the window. Now again open the Adobe Photoshop CC 2017. Now you got the correct scaling with your system UI high DPI.

Hope you enjoy the solution.

[margarett26271336]

Just unbelievable this hasn't been fixed in over 3 years!!

Yes, 150% is needed! Stupid on a 32inch 4k monitor. 100% of far too small and 200% is massive.