Skip navigation
photolaksdjf
photolaksdjf Calculating status...
Currently Being Moderated

Full size tool bar icons?

Nov 26, 2012 6:24 PM

Which version of Photoshop was the first one to have full size tool bar icons?  I have CS6 and they are tiny.

1269 Views   18 Replies   Latest reply: photolaksdjf, Nov 28, 2012 8:50 PM
 
Replies
  • Chris Cox
    Currently Being Moderated
    1. Chris Cox,
    Nov 26, 2012 6:37 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    The size of the toolbar icons hasn't really changed since Photoshop 1.0.

     

    What resolution display are you using?  The icons are designed for a 72-100 dpi display, and would show smaller on a 200 dpi display (Apple "retina" displays).

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    2. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 26, 2012 7:01 PM   in reply to Chris Cox
    Report

    The monitor display resolution is 1920 x 1080 which is what Windows 7 recommends.  I reduced it to 1600 x 900 but the icons on the desktop are then about an inch wide and 1 1/4" high and all text is just too big.   My last Photoshop was CS2 and it was just fine without doing anything to change it, but in this CS6 the icons are tiny.    It's rediculous.  There are numerous inquiries on Google asking the same question so I am sure it is not anything that I am doing wrong.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    3. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 26, 2012 7:06 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    Whoops!  In my question I asked what was the FIRST version of Photoshop to use the full size icons - I meant to aske what was the LAST version to use the full size icons as I plan to buy it and sell the one I have.   If there is no way to increase the icons to full size (which I understand there isn't) then I want to latest version  that had them at that size.   Sorry for the confusion.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Chris Cox
    Currently Being Moderated
    4. Chris Cox,
    Nov 26, 2012 8:14 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    Again, the icon sizes have not changed.  If there is a change on your system, then something else is causing Photoshop to draw funny.

     

    No, there is no way to change the size of the icons.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    5. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 26, 2012 8:40 PM   in reply to Chris Cox
    Report

    When I bought CS6 I asked for a 64 bit version but was told that the 32 bit was all they sell and it works on both.   Could that be the problem?  (I have a academic version)

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Chris Cox
    Currently Being Moderated
    6. Chris Cox,
    Nov 26, 2012 9:50 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    No, and you were misinformed.

     

    CS6 has 32 and 64 bit versions for Windows - both are installed at the same time.

    And that has nothing to do with the tool icon sizes.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Noel Carboni
    20,993 posts
    Dec 23, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    7. Noel Carboni,
    Nov 27, 2012 5:43 AM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    Could you be confusing Photoshop Elements with Photoshop?

     

    Most professional users wouldn't want to waste the screen space on big icons and big fonts, nor be distracted from the work by a bunch of color.

     

    BigIcons.png

     

    -Noel

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    8. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 27, 2012 11:20 AM   in reply to Noel Carboni
    Report

    I do not have Photoshop Elements, I have Photoshop CS6.  I bought a new computer with Windows 7 operating system pre-installed (as usual) then I installed the academic version of Photoshop CS6, choosing all the "recommended" features and none of the "advanced" or "custom" setups.  The fact that so many other people have had the same problem, as can be seen if you Google something like, "how to enlarge tool icons in photoshop,"   shows that this is a very  real and not imaginery problem.  I have a 23" screen which is 10" high and 20" wide.  Of the 10", the icons are crammed into 4" of it.   Of the 20", the icons make up 7" of it.  In smaller screens the icons are going to be even smaller.  I have a photo of my screen that I took with a screen capture program that I would like to post so people can see what I am talking about but don't know how to find the part of the forum where I have seen photos posted.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    9. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 27, 2012 11:26 AM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    If there is no place to post photos in this forum it is probably because I am getting this one mixed up with the Canon forum I also subscribe to.  If anyone would like to see the screen capture photo of my Photoshop program please send me your email address and I will get it to you.  My email address is patmichael@q.com.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • conroy
    Currently Being Moderated
    10. conroy,
    Nov 27, 2012 11:38 AM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    As long as you use the website and not email, you attach images when preparing the text of a post by clicking the camera icon in the toolbar at top of the box you type into. See attached image.

     

    Screen shot 2012-11-27 at 19.34.11.png

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Chris Cox
    Currently Being Moderated
    11. Chris Cox,
    Nov 27, 2012 1:03 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    >> Of the 10", the icons are crammed into 4" of it.

     

    Are you sure you don't have the toolbar set to 2 columns in one version and a single column in the other version?

     

    Normally the single column toolbar is about 9.5" tall on a 100 dpi display.

    The 2 column setting is about 5" tall on the same display.
    toolbarExpand.png

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Noel Carboni
    20,993 posts
    Dec 23, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    12. Noel Carboni,
    Nov 27, 2012 1:05 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    You are somehow convinced that you once saw big icons in Photoshop.

     

    You didn't.  You must be remembering wrongly.

     

    Whether the current icons are "too small' is a matter of judgment, but there is no known way to increase them, save for jimmying the display resolution.  That's almost never a good idea with an LCD display (which should always be run at its "native" resolution).

     

    Here are sceen grabs of the icons from the last several versions of Photoshop.  Click the image to see it full-sized.

     

    PsToolsIcons.png

     

    Click the little >> in the "title bar" of the panel to change it from two column view to one and vice versa.

     

    -Noel

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    13. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 27, 2012 9:08 PM   in reply to Noel Carboni
    Report

    All of the above icons appear to be full size to me.  Here is a screen shot of Photoshop CS6 on my 23" monitor at the recommended resolutionof 1920 x 1080.  I think the icons should be the same on any monitor with 1920 x 1080 resolution so if someone could measure how long the vertical tool bar is on your monitor then we should be able to determine right now if mine is smaller than normal.  The vertical tools on mine take up 3 7/8" on the vertical tool bar.Photoshop screen shot.jpg

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    14. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 27, 2012 9:17 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    By the way, I measured the CS6 tool bar provided by Noel and it is 5" long.  At 3 7/8", I think that would make mine 23% smaller.

     

    Pat

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Noel Carboni
    20,993 posts
    Dec 23, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    15. Noel Carboni,
    Nov 27, 2012 9:27 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    Pat you seem to be in a different reality than I am.

     

    Yours is the same size as the one I posted.

     

    YoursVsMine.png

     

    Perhaps your browser is zoomed-in.  Set it to 100%.

     

    -Noel

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    16. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 27, 2012 10:11 PM   in reply to Noel Carboni
    Report

    It must be the late night and tired eyes.  I thought I measured yours at 5".  After going back and forth measureing a number of times I see now that they are the same size.   I probably should feel embarrassed but for some reason I'm not.  Maybe it's the dark color and the eye strain of trying to see what was clear to me before when the background was white, or maybe it's having a the larger monitor than I had before, but anyway, it still looks smaller to me and it is harder to read and more tiring to my eyes.  Thank you Noel, Chris and others who I have been driving crazy with my claim, for your patience and persistance in forcing me to see the light.  Maybe I will feel embarrassed tomorrow.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • R_Kelly
    Currently Being Moderated
    17. R_Kelly,
    Nov 27, 2012 11:06 PM   in reply to photolaksdjf
    Report

    The icons in photoshop cs6 don't have as much contrast as earlier versions, which can be harder on the eyes.

     

    Also, you can change the interface color in cs6 by going to Edit>Preferences>Interface or pressing Shift+F1 darker

    and Shift+F2 lighter. (there are four interface color options)

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • photolaksdjf
    Currently Being Moderated
    18. photolaksdjf,
    Nov 28, 2012 8:50 PM   in reply to R_Kelly
    Report

    Thanks Kelly, I did as you described and the screen is much lighter and easier on the eyes. 

    Pat

     
    |
    Mark as:
Actions

More Like This

  • Retrieving data ...

Bookmarked By (0)

Answers + Points = Status

  • 10 points awarded for Correct Answers
  • 5 points awarded for Helpful Answers
  • 10,000+ points
  • 1,001-10,000 points
  • 501-1,000 points
  • 5-500 points