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Photoshop CC on a High DPI display on Windows 8.1

Forum|Forum|12 years ago
November 2, 2013
17 replies
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I'm using a new Lenovo Yoga 2. The native resolution is 3200x1800. Most Windows applications use scaling to enlarge the menus and other aspects of their user interface. However, Photoshop CC is basically unusable at this resolution because it does not honor the scaling. I have to drop the resolution down to 1600x900 before launching Photoshop CC. Extremenly inconvenient.

Anyone else have this issue on Windows?

high_dpi

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Conrad_C

Adobe provided an answer in another thread on this forum this week that indicated that the problem is entirely with the unavailability of the necessary Microsoft APIs, and nothing to do with perceived Mac vs. Windows favoritism.

As I recall, resolution independence code also partially existed for a very long time in advance on the Mac but was not fully usable for several versions of OS X; apparently the introduction of Retina displays forced Apple to finally finish the job. So there wasn't a simple switch to throw on the Mac side either.

mrgrip

Participant

Chris, Adobe needs to get on Microsoft's case about this. Myself and many, many new users are now upgrading there monitor, or monitor's to High-Res, Especially 4K! Almost all of your video related apps support the creativity of 4K but not the ability to display at a decent view able size? Let's go Get on it guy's!!! Adobe is not the only act in town.

fededav

Participant

Do you know if there's a solution now?

I installed my version Photoshop cc 2014 and I used UI 200% but it's too small

descender

Inspiring

Windows 10 is here -- it's gradually offering itself as a free download and install all this week and afterward.

Windows 10 changes this question significantly, and mostly for the better. Gone, vanished, at the operating system level, is the problem of an app window changing visual size when you move it from one display to another display with a very different DPI. Windows 10, by default, rescales any window that you drag from display to display such that it will be the correct visual size after the drag is finished. One caveat: they have not reached the level (and I don't know if they plan to) of allowing this to work when a window is split. Only when a window is completely contained within one physical display or another, or within two displays of the same DPI, will it actually get right. If you drag a window halfway on one display and halfway on another of different DPI it will retain the scaling that it had on the originating display.

So this almost takes care of the issue we're discussing here. But not quite. Here's why: the newly correct scaling ability native to Windows 10 (and video drivers that work with it) only applies to a window, and its children, that are fully located on one physical display or another. And there's the problem. A very common use of two monitors in Photoshop is to put your image and main menu, and nothing more, on your primary monitor, usually the high DPI one, and put all your other tools on your secondary, older, usually lower DPI, monitor. Now because those tools, etc., are child windows and not base level apps/windows of their own, as the OS sees them, when you move them onto your lower DPI monitor the OS sees no cause to rescale them. So, for example, we have Photoshop set to either 'auto' or '200%' in the Interface preference panel so that it is large enough to be usable and readable on a high-DPI display, but then when we move our tools to a not-as-high-DPI display, those tools are still scaled 200%. So the toolboxes and filters etc. look unnecessarily huge and large-print and unwieldy on the secondary display.

Adobe could potentially solve this by making the tool windows not child windows, but that's a rather extensive change that most programming teams would not contemplate. More likely Microsoft needs to rethink its strategy for when and how items are rescaled.

Alternatively, Adobe could consider giving us another new setting -- a separate setting for tool UI scaling as distinct from main window UI scaling. That would solve the problem for me perfectly -- I would set my tools to 100% and main window to 200% and everything ever mentioned in this thread would no longer be an issue.

I'd also like to mention that Windows 10 loads PS much faster, and that's far from the only thing it does faster and smoother. In general, it feels as though its entire I/O stack and networking stack were rebuilt by a better team.

Best of luck to all. Oh, and by the way, Lightroom continues to work perfectly on Windows 10 with no catches that I have found yet and no DPI issues whatsoever.

JJMack

Community Expert

Your Windows 10 works differently then mine then I see no scaling of windows when dragged from display to an other the has a different PPI resolution. I do not even know Windows 10 knows what ppi a display has. I believe plug and play display identify the number of pixels a display supports. As far as I know plug and play does not identify a Display's size. So I do not know how an OS could find your display's PPI. You could for example have three 4K displays on your system one a 24" display one a 27" display and the third a 30+" size. like a 60" 4kTV. Each has a different ppi each displays 3840x2160pixel. So all three display can display exactly the same number of pixels and can display the exact same image however the image will be a different size one each display and when split between displays the two image parts will differ in size. Here is my Windows 10 Displays set up I have three displays on my system two have a 16:9 aspect ratio one a 3:2 aspect ratio. All three displays are different in size, ppi and number of pixels they display. I will also show you some windows 10 screen captures.

As you see in my configuration Windows 10 has no idea as to what size my displays are it just knows the number of pixels each has. Display 2 is the largest of my displays and displays more pixels the my smaller 16;9 display number 3 It displays fewer pixels then my smallest display number 1. Windows 10 also tiles wallpaper differently the windows 7. Windows 7 would tile wall paper in the 1 2 3 order Windows 10 tile in the 3 2 1 order so I have to construct my wall paper differently for Windows 10 then I did in Windows 7 and I have to do the scaling for the different ppi the displays have so it will fit correctly.

In the screen capture toy will see the Chrome window dragged between display. The number of pixels did not change there was not scaling for my display different ppi. I see three different size chrome windows because of my displays different ppi

The right image is the smallest image its on the 12" 216 ppi Surface Pro 3 display that surves as my Workstation's third display.

JJMack

descender

Inspiring

Then perhaps I can conclude that something other than Windows 10 has brought this improvement on my system -- maybe the new driver from nVidia that targets Windows 10.

To be clear, when I move an app from one display to another it retains the same actual size, not the same pixel dimensions, so they are being rescaled. There is a moment of incorrect appearance when the window being moved is halfway on one display and halfway on another display of different DPI. At such time the window retains the old pixel dimensions so the part of it that has slid (incompletely) onto the new display looks either too large or too small depending on which direction it is being moved. But as soon as the move is complete and the entire window is on the new display, the scaling takes effect and the size is perfectly equal to before the move.

So perhaps my driver and the monitor .inf files are PPI aware, I don't know. I'm not an expert on it, but I always thought Windows was perfectly aware of pixel pitch and density on monitors, it's just that it was not programmed to make any use of that information. When people said "Windows is not DPI-aware" I believed they did not mean that it was strictly ignorant of the variables, just that it contained no effective code for using them.

JJMack

Community Expert

Yes when the DPI scaling factor requires partial actual display pixel use there will be some blurring effect. That is why I believe Adoue only offered what they call the experimental 2x UI preference. Because its an even factor of 2 (half resolution) four native pixels are used to form one scaled pixel there is no blurring effect however the scaling is large and you loose 3/4 yor display pixels count. A highr resolution displayt like the surface pro 3 that has a 216 ppi resolution display with 2160x1440 pixels a beautiful 3:2 aspect ratio is run like a 108 PPI display with 3:2 aspect ratio that has 1920x720 pixels that doe not meet Photoshop requirement of 1024x768 pixels in single column mode Photoshop tool bar UI will not fit one screen.

A 4k Display run at half resolution would be a 1K display 1920x1080 vs 3840x2160 and would meet Photoshop requirement of at least 1024x768.

JJMack

Community Expert

johncuracao found a good solution for Windows users Re: I found a solution to Photoshop CS6, Windows 8.1 HiDPI, Small UI probl

The solution has been around for quite some time however I have only been able to find it pointed out on three web site. A Microsoft forum site, a Surface pro blog and some other site not directly related to Photoshop.

The solution works with CC 2014 as well as CS6 and is ideal for display like the surface pro 3 has where Adobe CC 2014 2x UI preferences scale the display's resolution so low that Photoshop UI does not fit on screen. Where scaling the display 1.5x Microsoft default scaling for the Surface Pro 3 works beautifully. Scaling 1.25x also works but the UI is stll on the small side. In any case Adobe UI is not really touch friendly. Adobe UI should be use with a mouse or pen your fingers will be too big if your older than two or three years in age.

JJMack

B

BrianKeith68

Participant

This solution worked for me.

Adobe App Scaling on High DPI Displays (FIX) | Dan Antonielli

CJamma

Participant

It would of been great if Adobe told us we couldn't use this on windows BEFORE they took out money, they obviously knew about it!! 100 bucks down the drain!

S

SoCal Dave

Participant

I understand that it is the Microsoft API's etc., but it's not like PSCC is a piece of software used by only a few folks. And, this thread and the problem have now been kicking around for over a YEAR AND TWO MONTHS!

I had expected that Adobe and Microsoft could work something out by now, but it appears to me as the end user that there is nothing going on to fix the root problem. Indeed, we have seen multiple PSCC version releases in the intervening time. And, I had expected that as more and more 3200 displays got sold there would be enough critical mass of end users to demand a resolution to the problem. As an early adopter of the Dell XPS 15, not that many people had the problem at first, but now there are undoubtedly tens of thousands of folks trying to make their hi-dpi displays work functionally. 200% scaling is not a fix in my case.

I think it only fair that an Adobe rep please post the current status of the resolution of the problem, what is being done and when we can expect results.

Respectfully,
Dave

Chris Cox

Legend

You woke up an old thread.

Photoshop CC 2014 and Elements 13 already have 200% UI scaling for high res displays.

descender

Inspiring

It's STILL. NOT. a NEW FEATURE. Having the program's user interface actually be usable on the world's #1 operating system as currently available is not... a new... feature. It is the main thing that the customer is paying for. This really should be a five-alarm fire at Adobe with entire engineering departments diverted to getting it in working condition. To the degree that that does not happen, it is a very loud and clear signal that Adobe just doesn't think the market segment is worth that effort.

I do not intend any undue acrimony or personal attack by this, even while I (obviously) do desire to voice my calm frustration with the company. I have never before experienced multiple months in a row of an almost unusable flagship product from one of the world's premier providers of professional creative software.

I also understand that no more can be said by Adobe staff at this time for legal reasons, and I know how deep that type of thing gets between the legal department and the engineering and support departments. So I will not seek in vain to engage here, I just needed to voice my utter amazement at all this. This is clearly, unequivocally, far outside of expectations for any major software product or service. Thank you for listening, that's all.

descender

Inspiring

I just wanted to add that the Camera Raw filter does not obey the 200% scaling workaround either, rendering one of my most commonly used tools in PS nearly out of the question for regular use. Frequent use of it in its current condition would bring a lot of eye and wrist strain. My monitor is 3840 x 2160 at 23.5", a Dell UP2414Q. So not quite as far out on the scale of "invisible UI" as those Lenovo laptops, but still pretty far. Before the 200% setting arrived I was totally cut out of Photoshop by this situation. Now I can use it but grudgingly so, and rapidly accumulating a lot of repetitive strain and eye strain from doing so.

T

TjengJaw

Participant

If it works on other apps, it is obviously an Adobe issue and not a Microsoft one. It must be a problem with the way Adobe stacked up the legacy codes, if it's purely a Microsoft API issue, I find it hard to believe Microsoft supply the API to others and not to Adobe.

I am using X1 Carbon Touch 2 with a slightly lesser resolution of 2560 x 1440, Photoshop is practically unusable, must be much worse for the Lenovo Yoga 2 pro users.

ssprengel

Inspiring

Since this is your first post on the forums and this thread is over 100 replies long, it's unclear what your situation is.

PS CC 2014 has a settings in PS / Prefs / Experimental Features that will double the UI resolution to 200% and should work just fine on a 4K or less monitor. Have you not tried this or is it not working the way you expect or what? I think one issue is that ACR when hosted by Bridge doesn't zoom properly, yet, and you need the ACR 8.7 RC from Adobe Labs to have it zoom at all.

A

andrejam18269728

Participant

2020 and I had this problem. I'm at work so can't remember but found the exe folder and chose the let "windows handle it fancy option". In the properties menu. Will update when home.

Dasas23

Participant

I have Master Collection CS5 and mostly use Photoshop and Premiere Pro. Two weeks ago, I took delivery of a new Dell Studio XPS 15 (laptop with 15" screen) with a QHD display 3200 x 1800 (5 times quality of high definition) and running Windows 8.1. I bought this laptop thinking it would be great for high-end Photoshop and Premiere Pro work. However, I can now see that both Photoshop and Premiere Pro are far too small be useable on this screen.

I understand that Adobe is working with Microsoft to try and create a fix. I have three questions.

1. Is there any way I can change the screen settings, even if just temporarily, to be able to use Photoshop and Premiere Pro CS5? I tried reducing the screen settings to 1680 x 1050, and was so pleased that for a little while this worked. But next time I tried it, this setting didn't work anymore and Photoshop and Premiere Pro was still too small on the screen to be able to use it even on the lower resolution. Surely there must be a way to adjust the screen settings to enable me to use these programmes? If anyone knows what those settings are, please do share.

2. My CS5 Master Collection is I know quite old now, but it works fine for me and I am not ready to replace it. When Adobe and Microsoft find a fix, will it also apply to my old Adobe software, or only new versions?

3. I am thinking to buy a new large external monitor to attach to my new Dell Studio XPS 15 so that at least I could use Photoshop and Premiere Pro again. What type and spec of monitor would I need to buy to enable my laptop to work with CS5 Master Collection?

Any help and replies will be very gratefully received. I've been pulling my hair out. And since I have now used the laptop, there are no legitimate grounds to return it to Dell, and I don't really want to, as it's a good computer (albeit I cannot yet use it for the very purpose I bought it for).

Thank you.

Herbert2001

Inspiring

1) sounds odd. In theory a lower resolution should result in larger GUI elements in CS5. Are you certain the resolution was not reset back to the native resolution somehow?

2) No. The developers have already mentioned that this will not happen, not even for CS6, which is still sold officially. Only the newest CC versions will see that update.

3) Get a Dell 27" or 30" screen - that way you can still work with a high resolution, and the GUI is large enough. Go for the UltraSharp ones - great quality. Better than your laptop screen. Do make sure to haggle with Dell - if you do, they will give you a good deal.

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TheCraigist81

Known Participant

I just updated to 2014.2 and some high dpi problems that weren't there before have returned. In particular, the menus have gone back to being too small. See this screenshot of how my File menu looks like now. I have tried resetting preferences but no luck.