Photoshop resize Dropdown Menus on 4k monitor Windows

[ajn_design]

I know this issue has been going on for 3-4 years now?

Why are photoshop dropdown menus so damn small on 4k monitors on Windows machines?. The UI scale does not affect the size of these. I tried also changing the UI Font Size from Tiny to Large and I can't seem to notice a difference on any font.

My laptop displays everything just fine at normal scale but my 4k monitor is useless at 200%, not only it scales everything too large, (there should be a 150% option, in my opinion) but the drop down menus are waaaaaay to small.

What is the problem? Is it Windows or Adobe's fault? (Please don't say: Get a Mac)

[JJMack]

Adobe is working on a new implementation of UI scaling for Photoshop. You can try to signup to test that.    Currently if you want Display scaling of 150% you will need to use windows to scaling and not use Adobe UI scaling.   You need to set your Windows display scaling to 150% on the display you want scaled and setup a Windows startup shortcut that overrides application  scaling to System (Enhanced)

Whatever Photoshop displays will be scaled 150%  UI and Image not just UI...

[margaretw65488533]

I have the same issue, only, it just started today.  I've had no issues prior to this incident.  Following the above instructions does nothing to fix the dropdown size.  The interface size is fine - fonts are just right.  But when I click on a dropdown, miniature fonts.  I'm not finding any help for this new issue anywhere.

[JJMack]

If you can not use Windows scaling with current Windows 10 you did not follow my append correctly or you have a Windows 10 installation problem. Set Photoshop CC 2018 UI scaling to 100% and set the font size you want Photoshop to use, Set your Windows display setting to 150% and override HDPI scaling use System (Enhanced) in your windows Photoshop CC 2018 launching shortcut.

[risak22]

are there any newer versions of PS that will be proper scale with the higher res monitors?

[JJMack]

What display do you have that needs more then 4x scaling?  IMO there is no good reason manufacture large displays with very high resolution like 700ppi.  For the human eye  can not resolve down to 700PPI.  If You scale a displayed resolution like 7x to make it close to 96dpi  the resultant scaled image needs to meet Photoshop requirement of 1024x768.    If you scale a display 7X the display must be able to display at least 7,168px by 5,376px native pixels that more than 38.5MP.    Processing image at a 700dpi resolution Processing that many pixels would just slow down processing and provide no useable benefit for the human eye can not resolve down to the displays pixel size one would need a magnifying glass to resolve all the details in the image displayed. If you need toe see small things a electron microscope is what you need.

You will not be able to use Photoshop UI on a 6" display and the above display would not have the requires 38.5 MP to scale to Photoshop UI to 100dpi.

[JJMack]

margaretw65488533  wrote

But when I click on a dropdown, miniature fonts.  I'm not finding any help for this new issue anywhere.

Exactly which dropdown are you referring to.   Widows 10 should scale all the Photoshop Displays.  If text is to small report the problem to Microsoft.  Windows scalling may has a problem. Adobe may also be using a Windows System dialog and Windows may not be scaling its own dialog. So identifying a particular dropdown would help.

[margaretw65488533]

All the dropdowns.  The text in the menu "bars" were fine.  It was only the list of items in EACH dropdown.  Also, the new document window was the normal size, but the interface was a teeny little window in the top left corner, and creating a new doc was impossible.  Deleting the preferences didn't do squat.  I uninstalled, then reinstalled, and there was no difference.  Then it dawned on me - something in PS was corrupt.  I then did a clean uninstall last night, and then reinstalled.  Bingo.  Problem solved.

[JJMack]

Its good to hear you are working.

[ajn_design · Accepted solution]

I was referring to the top panel drop down menus File, Edit, Image etc.

What I did to resolve this is make the 4k monitor my main display, so now everything opens there. It's just a shame that I can't switch monitors on the fly.

[margaretw65488533]

Do a clean uninstall.  I did that last night, and it solved the problem.  Even after you uninstall via your control panel or the Adobe Cloud app, there are still several folders left behind that need to be deleted.  Program Files, Program Files (x86), App Data>Roaming>Adobe>Adobe Photoshop CC 2018.  Then, reinstall via the app.

[margaretw65488533]

Check out this site: Adobe App Scaling on High DPI Displays (FIX) | Dan Antonielli

[arts48774432]

This is in response to margaretw65488533     Dec 19, 2017 

I know this is sometime later, but this worked like a charm setting UI Scaling to Auto and UI Font Size to large.

Before doing this trick, I had my UI Scaling set to 200% and UI Font Size set to Large. When trying to change it, the Preferences window was so huge that I could not even see the "OK" button to make the changes and there was no way to move that window. So I just hit the Enter key and all was well.

[JJMack]

Adobe replace Photoshop UI scaling in Windows Photoshop CC 2018 in the 19.1.1 update.  Photoshop now uses your Windows display scaling setting for each of you displays,  The Photoshop preference UI scale is meaningless if you using Windows 10 creator edition.