Navigating the Complexities of Windows 10’s Display Settings
Over the years, Microsoft’s Windows operating system has continued to evolve into an incredibly versatile computing platform. However, with great power comes great complexity. Many users struggle to find various settings buried within Windows 10’s many menus and submenus.
In this guide, we’ll examine some hidden gems within Windows 10’s display settings to help you tailor your display for maximum productivity and visual comfort.
Scaling Up Text and Image Size
One common complaint we see from Windows 10 users is that text and images appear too small on their high resolution displays. While you can lean in close and squint to read tiny text, this leads to eye strain over time.
Instead, open up Settings and navigate to Display > Scale & Layout. Here you’ll find a slider that lets you adjust text, apps, and other items to be anywhere from 100% to 500% their original size. Click Apply and you should immediately see text become larger and easier to read.
Why are my icons spaced out in Windows 10?
Check that your resolution has been set to native for your display. Make sure in Windows 10 Settings, System, Display that Scale and Text size are normal. If System Wide text size has been enlarged, this would cause Icons to space out. Check text size by searching Settings for “Make Text Bigger” and set to 100%.
Can I change the default font on Windows 10?
However, for some reason, Windows 10 removed these settings, and you are now stuck with the default system font. However, it is possible to change the “Segoe UI” default font on Windows 10, if that is something you want to do. Now, it just takes a few more steps using the Registry.
Some users worry that scaling up display elements will make everything blurry. While this used to be the case with older versions of Windows, modern versions handle scaling gracefully with little perceivable loss in image quality. Play around with the slider until you find your ideal text size.
Resizing Taskbar Icons
Even on a spacious 27 inch monitor, the Windows taskbar can quickly fill up with tiny icons. While you can uninstall programs to free up taskbar space, an easier solution is to simply increase the size of the icons.
Right click the taskbar and select Taskbar Settings. Scroll down to Taskbar buttons and open the dropdown menu. Here you’ll find options to use small, medium, or large sized icons. Medium is the default, but you can select Large icons for a roomier taskbar.
If even large icons don’t cut it, open Taskbar Settings again and toggle the "Use small taskbar buttons" setting to Off. This makes taskbar icons roughly twice as big as the large size.
Adjusting Overall Desktop Icon Size
The Windows desktop can also get cluttered with tiny icons. Enlarging these is as easy as right clicking a blank space on the desktop and selecting View > Large icons from the context menu. Suddenly all icons transform to a more readable size. Scroll through the options to find Small, Medium, or Large icons based on your preference.
How do I fix a small font on Windows 10?
1. Right-click at the application (or the shortcut) that you face the “very small fonts” issue and click Properties. 2. At the Compatibility tab, click Change high DPI settings. * * Note: If you own Windows 8.1, then, at Compatibility tab, check the ” Disable display scaling on high DPI settings ” box and click OK. 3.
How to reduce font size Windows 10?
To reduce the Windows system font size, follow these steps. Go to “ Ease of Access “. Go to the “ Display ” page. Under the “Make text bigger” section, drag the slider to the left side to decrease the system font size. Click “ Apply ” to save changes.
Adjusting desktop icon size is especially useful on high resolution laptops and 4K monitors where the default medium setting makes icons tiny.
Tweaking Taskbar Positioning
Another way to optimize your display is by moving the taskbar from its default position at the bottom of the screen. Right click the taskbar, select Taskbar Settings, and experiment with new positions like left, right, or top aligned.
Each position has its own pros and cons. A left aligned taskbar gives you more vertical space for programs and documents while a top aligned taskbar reduces wasted space between the taskbar and top edge of the display. Find whatever works best for your particular display size and resolution.
Customizing Taskbar Transparency
You can also adjust the transparency of the taskbar to allow more of your wallpaper or application windows to shine through. Open Taskbar Settings and adjust the transparency slider. Lower opacity makes the taskbar fade away when not in use so you can focus on your content.
Just be careful not to make the taskbar too transparent or you might lose track of it! We recommend an opacity of around 80% for the right mix of visibility and fading.
How to make desktop shortcuts smaller in Windows 10?
A third and more radical way of changing the size of your desktop shortcuts in Windows is to modify the resolution used by your display. More specifically, what you need to do to make desktop icons smaller, is to increase your display resolution. If you want larger desktop icons, you should lower your screen resolution.
How to change icon size in Windows 10?
Not to worry, here’s how to change the icon size in Windows 10. 1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop. 2. Select View from the contextual menu. 3. Select either Large icons, Medium icons, or Small icons. The default is medium icons.
Final Words
Windows 10 offers an overwhelming array of tweaks and customizations if you know where to look. Follow the steps in this guide to reclaim valuable screen real estate, reduce eye strain, and customize your Windows experience. Let us know in the comments if you have any other display tricks up your sleeve!
References
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/make-text-and-apps-bigger-c3095a80-6edd-4779-9282-623c4d721d64
- https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/how-to-change-icon-size-windows-10/
How do I change the size of text in Windows 10?
1-Right click on the desktop and select Display settings. 2. Slide the “Change the size of text, apps…” to the right to make text bigger. Or slide it to the left to make them smaller. The slider moves in increments of 25 percent. You can increase the size up to 175 percent. 3.
How to change font size in Internet Explorer?
To change the font size in Internet Explorer. Open InternetExplorer on the desktop. Press Windows+C key to open Charmsbar. Select Settings. Click on Personalization. Click on Display. Choose “menus” from the drop down menu under Change only text size option. Assign the size that you want. Check if it’s ok by closing the personalization window.
How do I Change my taskbar icon size?
Use the following procedure to change the taskbar icon size: Right-click on an empty space on the desktop. Select Display settings from the contextual menu. Move the slider under “Change the size of text, apps, and other items” to 100%, 125%, 150%, or 175%. Hit Apply at the bottom of the settings window.
