27" 4K scaled to 1440p or just get 27" 1440p

[InuNacho]

I've tested several 27-inch 4K displays.

All UI scaling options in MacOS will give you sharp text and UI elements.

However with some graphic design software, e.g. Photoshop, Affinity Photo, you will not get true 1:1 pixel representation at 100% zoom with certain UI scaling options.

Depending on your work, that may or may not matter. For graphic designers, I think it matters.

That's why I'm sticking with my 27-inch 1440P display. If I want to upgrade, I'll go with 32-inch 4K (used without UI scaling), not 27-inch 4K (used with UI scaling).

The other problematic display size and resolution combination is 16-inch and 1440P.

I am in the process of transferring to the Affinity Suite but still reference the CS6 Suite regularly and Lightroom 6 is my Image Organization software.
I'm quite used to my older U3011 @ 2560x1600. Would you happen to know how the UI scaling for 4K+ works for software like CS6?

 

[teohyc]

I am in the process of transferring to the Affinity Suite but still reference the CS6 Suite regularly and Lightroom 6 is my Image Organization software.
I'm quite used to my older U3011 @ 2560x1600. Would you happen to know how the UI scaling for 4K+ works for software like CS6?

MacOS works great with 2560 x 1600 and 1440P on 30-inch display. It's a good combination.

Reason is UI scaling is not needed with those resolutions on a 30 inch display. Everything will be at 100%, big and easy to read, just that there's noticeable pixelation.

(M1 Macbook Air/Pro has 2560 x 1600 with 13.3 inch display WILL NOT give you 1:1 pixel representation at 100% with some UI scaling options in MacOS. )

 

[MarkC426]

Later last year I switched to a 27" 4K LG monitor, and I'm running it at a scaled resolution to look like 2560x1440.
The image quality is superb, and I love the matte screen.

Woww, this is good news to me....
I have obviously been out of the loop with Monitors for too long.
Glossy screens are what put me off getting a 4k, I prefer matte.

I didn't know they existed...?

 

[AppelGeenyus]

I've tested several 27-inch 4K displays.

All UI scaling options in MacOS will give you sharp text and UI elements.

However with some graphic design software, e.g. Photoshop, Affinity Photo, you will not get true 1:1 pixel representation at 100% zoom with certain UI scaling options.

Depending on your work, that may or may not matter. For graphic designers, I think it matters.

That's why I'm sticking with my 27-inch 1440P display. If I want to upgrade, I'll go with 32-inch 4K (used without UI scaling), not 27-inch 4K (used with UI scaling).

The other problematic display size and resolution combination is 16-inch and 1440P.

Sorry this is super misguided, purists will argue otherwise but even for 99% of design work it doesn't matter. Basically nobody does work that requires pixel level precision while keeping the entire document at 1:1 all the time, you will be zooming in/out constantly, in which case your ability to be pixel-precise is not affected in any way on a scaled resolution. If your work gives you genuine reason to be concerned about something like moire being misrepresented you can simply switch res(which is instantaneous on newer Macs) to perfect 2x where required.

And in the case of photo editing the pixel-precision argument goes out the window and you are actually at more of a disadvantage, because basically every photo in existence is now larger than 1440p or even 4k. So viewing photos will require significantly more downscaling, and therefore hide way more pixels on 1440p compared to a 4k display.

 

[teohyc]

Sorry this is super misguided, purists will argue otherwise but even for 99% of design work it doesn't matter. Basically nobody does work that requires pixel level precision while keeping the entire document at 1:1 all the time, you will be zooming in/out constantly, in which case your ability to be pixel-precise is not affected in any way on a scaled resolution. If your work gives you genuine reason to be concerned about something like moire being misrepresented you can simply switch res(which is instantaneous on newer Macs) to perfect 2x where required.

And in the case of photo editing the pixel-precision argument goes out the window and you are actually at more of a disadvantage, because basically every photo in existence is now larger than 1440p or even 4k. So viewing photos will require significantly more downscaling, and therefore hide way more pixels on 1440p compared to a 4k display.

Do you do graphic design?

No one will work at 1:1 all the time. Most will work with "Fit on Screen".

1:1 is useful for people working with text and/or web graphics. E.g. When exporting a 1000px web banner in Photoshop, with certain MacOS scaling, the banner looks 85% of the width. This gives you the illusion text is smaller, so you increase the text, then you export the jpg and view it on the web browser to find the text is 15% larger.

If you don't see a problem with that, then the problem doesn't affect you. This is certainly not a problem that will affect photographers, people doing the occasional graphic design, or people into digital painting (I draw sometimes).

Moire or anti-aliasing is not the issue here as everything is sharp regardless of the UI scaling option selected.

I'm someone who has ruler measurements drawn on the frame of my monitor so that I can make sure the font size I set comes out in the same size in real life for print.

This issue doesn't happen on Windows. Photoshop is not the only app that has this issue on MacOS.

 

[AppelGeenyus]

Do you do graphic design?

No one will work at 1:1 all the time. Most will work with "Fit on Screen".

1:1 is useful for people working with text and/or web graphics. E.g. When exporting a 1000px web banner in Photoshop, with certain MacOS scaling, the banner looks 85% of the width. This gives you the illusion text is smaller, so you increase the text, then you export the jpg and view it on the web browser to find the text is 15% larger.

If you don't see a problem with that, then the problem doesn't affect you. This is certainly not a problem that will affect photographers, people doing the occasional graphic design, or people into digital painting (I draw sometimes).

Moire or anti-aliasing is not the issue here as everything is sharp regardless of the UI scaling option selected.

I'm someone who has ruler measurements drawn on the frame of my monitor so that I can make sure the font size I set comes out in the same size in real life for print.

This issue doesn't happen on Windows. Photoshop is not the only app that has this issue on MacOS.

- Yes

- Even in that scenario I still don't see how native 1440p is an advantage over scaled mode on 4k.

- Pretty much all web content/design should now be responsive resolution independent and vector based, that's been standard practice for probably close to 10 years now. I'm really struggling to see how a scaled resolution would affect any of that, especially text. I'm sorry your comment regarding sizes not matching between photoshop and browsers is wrong, you have set your browser zoom incorrectly or something. A 1000px banner in photoshop while using any scaled mode on a 4k display will show as exactly half the size it will be in a browser, if you zoom to 200% in photoshop it will be 1:1 with the browser size. The way the pixels are scaled might not match, but proportions are not affected.

- It doesn't affect anyone because its not a thing.

- Not sure what you think Moiré means...

- I'm going to convince myself you are trolling.

- Windows cannot save you.

 

[GuilleA]

Woww, this is good news to me....
I have obviously been out of the loop with Monitors for too long.
Glossy screens are what put me off getting a 4k, I prefer matte.

I didn't know they existed...?

Yeah. Mine's the lower end 27UL500 and looks great. Black levels could be better but at this price point I can't complain. Zero-glare makes up for it. There's a higher end model with USB-C which would have saved me used port on my MBA but I wasn't able to find it a decent price.