Question about new monitor for editing

[RickW]

I’m a much better photographer than computer geek and I’m trying to understand something. I am using a Samsung 27” monitor with rez at 1920-1080. My 76 yr old eyes needs a bigger screen - not for photo editing, but for day to day use of the computer (email, web surfing etc) and want a 32” screen. Nothing larger will physically fit. If I understand how the physics work (and certainly not sure I do have this right), if I buy a 32” screen with higher rez 2560x1440. Does that mean that the appearance of written text like in emails will look smaller on the 32” display? In other words, if the higher rez on the larger screen reduces the size of written data, that would negate the larger physical size of the display?

If I’m right, would the solution be to downsize the rez back to 1920-1080 on the 2560 and only use max rez when editing with Adobe? My goal is to make the day to day items look larger when sitting at the same distance from the screen and then upsize the rez to highest available when working with photos. Can any of you tech savvy folks set me straight please?

And - I assume that problem is exaggerated the higher the monitor rez? So if I step up to 4K (which I understand is better for detailed photo editing), the size of the regular items like email appear smaller the higher the rez? Not sure I would blow the $ for anything 3840 or higher, but just seek some assurance that my general understanding is correct.

Lastly - several of my buddies seem to like the Asus monitors. Any thoughts? I’m not spending more than say $500 for the super big boys like BenQ or dell. I’d buy mor3 glass rather then spend $2k for a monitor.

 

[Anjin San]

At native resolution the 32 is more pixels per inch so text will be smaller..that can be overcome by either increasing the default text size depending on the app…or more likely by just running the larger monitor at27 inch pixel resolution. The latter will make the text bigger but depending on assorted factors might degrade the clarity of the larger text due to the non linear way the pixels get interpreted. The only way to actually see whether it is an improvement is to look at a 32 in the store and change the resolution to 27 inch resolution and see if the larger text is acceptable. It doesn’t really matter if it is displaying Windows resolution if that’s what the store has hooked up…pixels and interpolation are the same on either os.

 

[RickW]

At native resolution the 32 is more pixels per inch so text will be smaller..that can be overcome by either increasing the default text size depending on the app…or more likely by just running the larger monitor at27 inch pixel resolution. The latter will make the text bigger but depending on assorted factors might degrade the clarity of the larger text due to the non linear way the pixels get interpreted. The only way to actually see whether it is an improvement is to look at a 32 in the store and change the resolution to 27 inch resolution and see if the larger text is acceptable. It doesn’t really matter if it is displaying Windows resolution if that’s what the store has hooked up…pixels and interpolation are the same on either os.

So what I’m taking away from your reply is that I am correct that the higher the rez, the smaller the text. Therefore, I would lower the rez to the 1920 x 1080 for all tasks other than photo editing. However, I would sacrifice “clarity” of the downsized text, so I need to be certain that I can accept that reduction in quality on a day to day basis.

But still not sure of the answer to my original problem about easily reading the scree. When all is said and done, if I reduce the rez as default and if I’m ok with degradation of the text , will the letters on the 32” screen appear larger than what displays on the 27” at the same viewing distance. If not, then there is no point in my upsizing the physical siz e of the monitor. Perhaps you’re right and should go to store and look. In fact, since the stores optimize their screens in order to sell more, I will probably buy. 32” at either Amazon or Costco. Their liberal return policies allow me to do the comparison at my desk.

Thx for taking the time to reply the first time - can you or anyone else here answer my condensed question- “ if I reduce the rez as default on the 32” and if I’m ok with degradation of the text , will the letters on the 32” screen appear larger than what displays on the 27” at the same viewing distance?”

Edit - anyone offer any feedback on Acer compared to Samsung, LG etc?

 

[wotan1]

I use the Apple Studio screen which is 5k on a 27 inch monitor. If I put everything at 5k the text size is quite small and difficult to read.

Instead I just increase the text size. The text is still posted on a 5k screen so it is NOT degraded, The 5k screen can produce if anything crisper and clearer text than a 1920x1080 screen given equivalent size.

You can control the text size. Whether you do it on a 27 inch or 32 inch screen you just make the text large enough so you can see it. With the size you chose you will be able to get more similar sized text on the 32 inch screen than the 27 but otherwise they look the same.

Have you looked into a pair of prescription computer viewing glasses? You should be able to adjust your vision to an ideal correction for computer screen work. Probably cheaper than buying a 32 inch high resolution monitor.

 

[ButlerKid]

I simply increase the text size on my 30" NEC 2560x1440. On a PC, I simple click the Alt key plus the + key. To reduce text size I use the Alt key plus the - key.

In my browser settings and in most software, I can usually adjust the text size.

 

[RickW]

I use the Apple Studio screen which is 5k on a 27 inch monitor. If I put everything at 5k the text size is quite small and difficult to read.

Instead I just increase the text size. The text is still posted on a 5k screen so it is NOT degraded, The 5k screen can produce if anything crisper and clearer text than a 1920x1080 screen given equivalent size.

You can control the text size. Whether you do it on a 27 inch or 32 inch screen you just make the text large enough so you can see it. With the size you chose you will be able to get more similar sized text on the 32 inch screen than the 27 but otherwise they look the same.

Have you looked into a pair of prescription computer viewing glasses? You should be able to adjust your vision to an ideal correction for computer screen work. Probably cheaper than buying a 32 inch high resolution monitor.

Appreciate the reply. I was always under the impression that not all programs had the easy ability to enlarge text via alt+ scrolling mouse wheel. And I share the monitor with my wife who will be unhappy having to continuously adjust the text all the time. And I wear progressive eyeglasses which are corrected from reading to distance and everything in between so I fear my problem is just that I’m too old.

 

[RickW]

Karen - thanks. Please see my reply to Wotan above.

 

[RickW]

I use the Apple Studio screen which is 5k on a 27 inch monitor. If I put everything at 5k the text size is quite small and difficult to read.

Instead I just increase the text size. The text is still posted on a 5k screen so it is NOT degraded, The 5k screen can produce if anything crisper and clearer text than a 1920x1080 screen given equivalent size.

You can control the text size. Whether you do it on a 27 inch or 32 inch screen you just make the text large enough so you can see it. With the size you chose you will be able to get more similar sized text on the 32 inch screen than the 27 but otherwise they look the same.

Have you looked into a pair of prescription computer viewing glasses? You should be able to adjust your vision to an ideal correction for computer screen work. Probably cheaper than buying a 32 inch high resolution monitor.

I’ve been wondering for years - Do Brunhilde and Siegfried live with you? With a bunch of Walkure? Hojotoho!

 

[Anjin San]

So what I’m taking away from your reply is that I am correct that the higher the rez, the smaller the text. Therefore, I would lower the rez to the 1920 x 1080 for all tasks other than photo editing. However, I would sacrifice “clarity” of the downsized text, so I need to be certain that I can accept that reduction in quality on a day to day basis.

But still not sure of the answer to my original problem about easily reading the scree. When all is said and done, if I reduce the rez as default and if I’m ok with degradation of the text , will the letters on the 32” screen appear larger than what displays on the 27” at the same viewing distance. If not, then there is no point in my upsizing the physical siz e of the monitor. Perhaps you’re right and should go to store and look. In fact, since the stores optimize their screens in order to sell more, I will probably buy. 32” at either Amazon or Costco. Their liberal return policies allow me to do the comparison at my desk.

Thx for taking the time to reply the first time - can you or anyone else here answer my condensed question- “ if I reduce the rez as default on the 32” and if I’m ok with degradation of the text , will the letters on the 32” screen appear larger than what displays on the 27” at the same viewing distance?”

Edit - anyone offer any feedback on Acer compared to Samsung, LG etc?

Not the higher resolution but the higher pixels per inch. The computer wants to draw a letter at say 8 pixels wide and 10high for example. Yake the size of the monitor a d divide it into the resolution to get pixels per inch…that makes the letter physically smaller on the larger screen at its native resolution since its pixel dimensions are the same. You can change the displayed resolution of the larger monitor and make it use the smaller monitor’s pixel dimensions…which will make the letter larger on the larger monitor than on the smaller one. The potential drawback is that the physical pixels on a monitor are fixed in number…and thus it needs to interpolate how many computer sent pixels are mapped to physical pixels on the screen…and since there are fractional numbers involved this will probably result in larger but not as sharp letters on the larger monitor. So…yes…if you set the 32 monitor to 27 resolution and can accept the slight fuzziness…the letters on the screen will be larger. macOS does some funny things internally when you use a non native resolution to eliminate some of the fuzziness…I presume Windows does the same but don’t really know that for sure. I’m not sure whether the brand of monitor makes a difference if we are talking about the same native resolution…pixels is pixels.

Karen’s make the text bigger trick is also good…macos does that as well as Windows…but not all programs respect that change and TBH I’ve never used the feature so can’t recommend it either way.