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Although they are widely available and reasonably priced, many programs weren’t designed with high-resolution monitors in mind when they were first developed. Text may appear fuzzy when using them on such displays or when transferring the application’s window from a second, low-resolution screen to one that is considerably higher.
Although there isn’t a quick fix for every app that has poor clarity, there are a few things you can attempt to permanently repair those blurry blues. This is our helpful guide.
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How Can I Fix Blurry Apps on the Windows OS?
Scaling and DPI
Dots per inch, or DPI, is a metric used to quantify the millions of small dots (also called pixels) that make up monitor screens. This originally described the number of ink dots a printing press would deposit on paper during a single printing inch.
It now refers to the number of pixels needed on a computer to draw a diagonal line one inch across the screen. Windows had been using 96 DPI as the default setting for many years, which was OK because most monitors weren’t extremely huge or had high resolutions.
A 15-inch screen with 1024 x 768 resolution, for instance, has a DPI of 85; as this is less than what Windows uses, apps will display properly.
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Nonetheless, a 27-inch 2560 x 1440 display is now available for less than $200. With a DPI of about 109, which is higher than what Windows uses by default, all apps will appear somewhat fuzzy on such a screen. This is a result of Windows internally attempting to draw the shape using a set number of dots before displaying it with a larger dot count.
That would indeed be the case in the absence of DPI scaling.
Microsoft has been using various methods to guarantee that programs display correctly on monitors with higher DPIs for quite some time now. But the majority of these modifications are either private or reserved for developers.
Thankfully, Windows can be forced to change the DPI it uses; this may be seen as a percentage. When Windows is at 100%, it will utilize the standard value of 96 dots per inch. However, when this is increased, everything will use a larger number of dots per inch (for example, 150% equals 144 DPI).
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How Can I Fix Blurry Apps on the Windows OS? Adjusting DPI Scale
- To access the Display section, use the Windows key + I. Alternatively, select Start > Settings > System > Display.
- Once you’ve reached the scaling option, scroll down and select Menu.
- Increase this number if apps appear too small or hazy; nevertheless, unless you have a very high-resolution monitor, it’s advised not to go over 150%.
Have you noticed that ‘Recommended’ appears next to 150%? This is as a result of the image being captured on a 27″ 4K monitor. It actually depends on personal opinion; however, 125% might suit better if the screen were larger (e.g., 32″).
Changing the scaling values will compel all objects, not just programs, to resize. The desktop icons, notification area, and taskbar will all enlarge or contract.
The comparison of the Recycle Bin at 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, and 200% scaling on a 4K monitor is depicted in the figure above. Upon closer inspection, you’ll see that the text beneath the icon appears slightly blurry in the first two alternatives (the image has been zoomed in, though).
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However, keep in mind that you’ll lose a lot of space on your taskbar and desktop in general if you scale the image too large.
Changing DPI scale for a single software application
You’ll need to look more closely at the application in question to see if there are any issues, especially if it’s an older one, even after you’ve adjusted Windows scaling to your preference.
To begin, right-click on the app’s icon and select Properties.
This will launch a new window with several tabs along the top; choose the “Compatibility” tab.
You should notice a sizable button labeled “Change high DPI settings” toward the bottom of the window; click it to launch a new window.
This is the place where you can change how the program handles DPI scaling.
Program DPI is the first choice to try, since it will compel Windows to optimize the app’s scaling when you either run the program or log into the operating system initially. Since Microsoft doesn’t offer any useful guidance for this choice, it’s not entirely obvious what happens with it.
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Because you might not use the software very often, it’s generally better if you choose the “When I open this program” option. But if you do, then by all means go with the first option.
The bottom option, marked “High DPI scaling override,” is the second one you can attempt. You now have three options to choose from: System, Application, and System (Enhanced). Choose option number three on the list if the application is really old as it might not scale adequately.
To fully have Windows take control of the program’s scaling, you can tick both the Program DPI and the High DPI scaling override; nevertheless, most of the time, the first one will be enough.
After making changes to the settings, click the OK button in the two open windows and restart your computer, just like you would with anything Windows-related. With luck, the uncooperative program will now behave itself.
Keep in mind that UWP apps (Universal Windows Platform) always scale 100% correctly, therefore this works with “Win32” programs as well.
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Making things clearer and easier
DPI scaling is a tricky issue, and there isn’t a magic bullet that can solve every potential issue. Therefore, you might attempt the following additional tips to make everything on your monitor clearer:
Make use of the maximum refresh rate possible.
Although older displays frequently have a maximum refresh rate of only 60 Hz, check to see if Windows is set to use the higher value if yours does. Go to Advanced Display by scrolling down from the same Settings area where you alter the DPI scaling.
This is where you can change the refresh rate of the monitor. Make sure your monitor is set to the maximum value unless you have very excellent reasons not to. Monitors are meant to work optimally at their greatest rate.
Make sure you’re utilizing the native resolution of the display; if it’s set to something other than 3840 x 2160 pixels, such as 2560 x 1600, it will undoubtedly cause blurry images.
Check that your graphics drivers are up-to-date.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but when AMD, Intel, and Nvidia update their drivers, they frequently address a number of minor bugs that can affect particular applications. These bugs can range from performance issues to stability issues to improperly displaying images or text.
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Disable window transparency and animation effects.
Although these give Windows a nice visual touch, some users find that having a partially transparent frame or a fancy animation running when you open or close them makes it difficult to read.
Open Settings (Win key + I or Start Menu > Settings), select Accessibility from the left-hand menu, and then select Visual Effects from the list on the right-hand side of your screen.
Here is where you may turn off the animation effects and transparency; click on them to do so. If you’re using a low-cost computer, you could even find that Windows feels a tiny bit snappier with them off.
ClearType text can be adjusted to fit your monitor.
ClearType, a Windows default feature, improves text visibility on LCD monitors by using sub-pixel drawings instead of whole dots. It doesn’t matter how it all operates, but since each monitor is unique, the default settings might not be ideal for you.
To launch the app, click the Start Menu, type “ClearType Tuner,” and then select the program that appears (it will have a tiny colorful icon next). If you have numerous screens, the tuning program asks which monitors you wish to tune them for after enabling ClearType if it hasn’t already.
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After that, you’ll complete five exams. To pass each test, click the next button after selecting the panel that appears to be the clearest for you, exactly like you would at an eye exam. Go back and do it again a few times until everything matches your monitor if you’re not satisfied with the outcome.
Conclusion
With any luck, this advice will have helped you resolve any annoying apps that have been causing you to have visual issues. Though some really ancient programs might not be salvageable, fortunately, they should be rare in number.