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Article Number: 000141910

How to Adjust the Size of the Fonts and Icons on your Windows 11 and Windows 10 Operating System

Summary: This article takes you through changing the various video settings in the Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems using the integrated Microsoft utilities.

This article may have been automatically translated. If you have any feedback regarding its quality, please let us know using the form at the bottom of this page.

Article Content

Instructions

Table of Contents:

  1. Set or Change the Screen Resolution
  2. Adjust the Color Depth
  3. Adjust the Refresh Rate
  4. Change the Size of Fonts and Icons

For Instructions to change video settings click your operating system here:

 

Set or Change the Screen Resolution

 

Note: This is defined as the number of pixels displayed on a screen in each dimension. It is expressed as the horizontal x the vertical number of pixels in use. Changing from the default setting changes the size of what you see on-screen. A screen has its own default maximum number if pixels that you can set. The lower a resolution the larger and more simple is the screen image displayed.
 

Setting the resolution in Windows 11 and Windows 10:

  1. Close all open programs.

  2. You can either right-click Start, and then click Control Panel or Settings or click start and type Control Panel or Settings and click the icon that appears.

  3. In the Control Panel or Settings window, click System, and then click Display.

  4. Select the monitor that you want to change, if more than one monitor is connected to your computer.

    1. Do you want to change the scale or the resolution?

      • To change the Scale:

        1. Go to the Scale and Layout section.

        2. Select Scale and select an option. (Microsoft recommends keeping the option marked as "Recommended.")

      • To change the Resolution:

        1. Click the Resolution drop-down box to see a list of recommended resolutions for that display.

        2. Click the resolution that you want, and then click Apply.

  5. Click keep changes if you want to keep the new settings. If not select revert.

Note: If new settings do not work, Windows attempts to revert back to the original settings automatically.

  1. Restart the computer to ensure that the changes stay in effect.

Adjust the Color Depth

 

Note: This is defined as the number of bits used to indicate the color of a single pixel. (It is sometimes called Bit Depth.) Images with higher bit depths can show more shades or colors. (For example: 6-Bit, 8-Bit, 10-Bit, and so on.) This has more to do with the hardware in use on your computer and your monitor.
 

Adjusting the Color Depth in Windows 11 and Windows 10:

  1. Close all open programs.

  2. You can either right-click Start, and then click Control Panel or click start and type Control Panel and click the icon that appears.

  3. In the Control Panel window, click System, and then click Display.

  4. Select the monitor that you want to change, if more than one monitor is connected to your computer.

  5. Click the Display Adapter Properties link.

  6. Select List All Modes.

  7. Choose your resolution, color depth and refresh rate from the list and click OK.

  8. Click OK again to exit the properties window.

Adjust the Refresh Rate

 

Note: This is defined as the number of times per second that the display can draw a new image. It is expressed as a frequency in Hertz. (It is sometimes called Scan Rate for older displays.) Adjusting the refresh rate is only recommended for cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors, and is not needed for Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens. (For example: A higher rate is useful for gamers, browsing online, and people using digital pens but a lower refresh rate can help with battery life. However, your setting should match the hardware in use on the computer and screen.)

Adjusting the Refresh Rate in Windows 11 and Windows 10:

  1. Close all open programs.

  2. You can either right-click Start, and then click Control Panel or Settings or click start and type Control Panel or Settings and click the icon that appears.

  3. In the Control Panel or Settings window, click System, and then click Display.

  4. Select the monitor that you want to change, if more than one monitor is connected to your computer.

  5. Click the Display Adapter Properties link.

  6. Click the Monitor tab.

  7. Click the Screen refresh rate drop-down menu under Monitor settings.

  8. Select the refresh rate that you want from the available options, and then click Apply.

  9. When you are informed that Windows is adjusting the refresh rate, click OK.

Note: Windows 11 introduces a new feature: Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) which automatically adjusts the rate based on what it detects you doing on the computer. I would not recommend changing from this unless as part of a troubleshooting exercise.
 

Change the Size of Fonts and Icons

 

Note: The size of the text on-screen is adjustable in a Windows operating system. There are only three choices for resizing the on-screen icons on the desktop screen. (For example: Small, Medium, and Large Icons.)
 

Adjust the Size of Fonts:

  1. Close all open programs.

  2. You can right-click Start, and then click Control Panel or Settings, click start and type Control Panel or Settings and click the icon that appears, or press and hold down the Windows + U keys simultaneously as a keyboard shortcut.

  3. In the Control Panel or Settings window, click Accessibility.

  4. Click Text Size then select the font size that you want to use the slider guide in the box.

Adjust the Size of the on-screen desktop Icons:

  1. Right-click the desktop and select view on the menu that appears.

  2. Click the appropriate option from the following on-screen choices:

    • Large Icons

    • Medium Icons

    • Small Icons

Additional Information

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Article Properties

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Last Published Date

28 May 2024

Version

10

Article Type

How To

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