Change the size or rotation of the screen

You can change how big (or how detailed) things appear on the screen by changing the screen resolution. You can change which way up things appear (for example, if you have a rotating display) by changing the rotation.

  1. Click the icon on the very right of the menu bar and select System Settings.

  2. Open Displays.

  3. If you have multiple displays and they are not mirrored, you can have different settings on display. Select a display in the preview area.

  4. Select your desired resolution and rotation.

  5. Click Apply. The new settings will be applied for 30 seconds before reverting back. That way, if you cannot see anything with the new settings, your old settings will be automatically restored. If you are happy with the new settings, click Keep This Configuration.

When you use another display, like a projector, it should be detected automatically so you can change its settings in the same way as your usual display. If this does not happen, just click Detect Displays.

Resolution

The resolution is the number of pixels (dots on the screen) in each direction that can be displayed. Each resolution has an aspect ratio, the ratio of the width to the height. Wide-screen displays use a 16:9 aspect ratio, while traditional displays use 4:3. If you choose a resolution that does not match the aspect ratio of your display, the screen will be letterboxed to avoid distortion.

You can choose the resolution you prefer from the Resolution drop-down list. If you choose one that is not right for your screen it may look fuzzy or pixelated.

Rotation

On some laptops, you can physically rotate the screen in many directions. It is useful to be able to change the display rotation. You can choose the rotation you want for your display from Rotation drop-down list.