DPI is the physical measurement of the number of individual dots that can be placed in a linear inch of a display. DPI settings change the size of the text, apps, icons, and other items in Windows. Most displays in use today are in the range of 95-110 DPI with Windows defaulting to 96 DPI. A lower DPI setting will make items appear smaller while settings that are higher make them appear bigger on the screen. If items on your screen are not displaying correctly, you can change the DPI level to increase or decrease to make them clearly visible. Below is how to change the DPI scaling level for all or specific displays so that items are displayed properly.
How to increase or decrease DPI Scaling in Windows 11
As described above, if items on your screen are not displaying correctly, you can change the DPI level to increase or decrease to make them clearly visible. Below is how to adjust the DPI scaling level in Windows 11.
Change DPI Scaling level using Windows Settings app
The quickest way to change or adjust your display DPI scaling level is to use the Windows Settings app. First, open the Settings app by clicking on the Start menu button and selecting Settings. You can also use the keyboard shortcut (Windows key + I). When the Settings app opens, click on the System button on the left. On the right, click the Display tile to expand. On the System -> Display settings pane, select the display you want to change or adjust its DPI scaling level. If you have multiple monitors, select each one and adjust. Each display will have its own DPI settings that work. Under the Scale & layout section, select the Scale tile, and choose a DPI level that is correct for your display or monitor.
Set custom DPI scaling level using the Settings app
If the recommended DPI scaling level isn’t compatible with your display or the percentage selections are not suitable for your device, Windows lets you set a custom DPI scaling level for your display. To set a custom DPI scaling level, open the Settings app and go to System -> Display. Under the Scale & layout section, select the Scale tile to expand. On the System -> Display -> Scale -> Custom scaling settings pane, enter a custom scaling size between 100-500 % you want for all displays, and click the check mark to save. You will have to sign out and sign back in for the changes to apply.
Change display DPI scaling using Windows Registry Editor
If you can’t change the DPI scaling using the Windows Settings app and prefer to use the Registry Editor, use the steps below. First, open the Windows Registry Editor. Next, navigate to the folder key as listed below. If you don’t see the Desktop folder key, right-click on the Control Panel key, then create the subkey (Desktop) subfolder key. On the right pane of the Desktop folder key, right-click and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Type a new key named LogPixels. Double-click the new value name (LogPixels) and enter the Value data using the table below to change the DPI scaling in Windows 11. Also, locate the Win8DpiScaling value name and Double-click it to open. When it opens, enter 1 to use a DPI scaling value of more than 96. If 96 is used, then enter 0. When you are done, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. That should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to change your display DIP scaling level in Windows 11. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
