Will Copying Mac Photo Library to External Drive Again Just Add New Photos
The magic of Apple's "Retina" displays is that macOS (formally called Mac Bone X) renders the user interface with four times every bit many pixels (twice the vertical and twice the horizontal resolutions) as it does on a traditional lower resolution display, giving users the benefits of ultra-abrupt text and graphics without making the interface also small to see.
This works great on loftier-resolution displays like 4K monitors and the new 5K iMac, but what if you could have the benefit of Retina-like sharpness on a not-Retina monitor? Well, cheers to something called HiDPI mode in macOS/OS X, you can, although at that place's a pretty big caveat.
How to Enable HiDPI Mode
HiDPI mode was initially available every bit an pick in Xcode's Quartz Debug utility, only since Mavericks has been accessible via a Terminal command. If you're running Mount Lion or older, check out this article at OS X Daily for instructions on how to enable HiDPI mode in OS 10. I.
Note: If you're using macOS Mojave, the Terminal commands shown below won't work, and so you'll want to skip down to the part of this article that talks about "third-party applications."
If you're using macOS Mavericks or college, then continue with the steps beneath:
- Fire up a new Final window and so re-create and paste the following command:
$ sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple tree.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool truthful
- So printing Return to execute the command and, because this is a "sudo" command, enter your admin password when prompted.
- Adjacent, reboot your Mac and, upon logging back in, caput to Organisation Preferences and click on Displays.
Here you'll run into the familiar preference window where you tin can set your resolution and refresh rate.
Most users will likely accept the "Default for Display" option checked, which is typically your display's native resolution. ClickScaled to reveal boosted resolutions and y'all'll see one or more options at the bottom of the list with "(HiDPI)" appended to their resolutions. Click on one of the HiDPI modes to enable information technology on your desired display.
Note: If you're non seeing the HiDPI resolutions listed in Organisation Preferences later using the Terminal command to a higher place, effort clicking on the "Scaled" radio button while belongings the Alt/Choice key on your keyboard. This trick reveals additional resolutions for all displays and should list the HiDPI resolutions if they weren't already visible.
You'll instantly run across everything appear much sharper, merely here comes the caveat: your constructive resolution is much lower. This works on high-resolution Retina displays considering macOS has millions of additional pixels to work with.
If you want "Retina-quality" on a standard-resolution brandish, you're going to end up with a much lower effective resolution. For instance, hither's what a native resolution of 1920×1200 looks like on a xx-inch iMac:
And here's what HiDPI fashion looks like with an effective resolution of 960×600:
Although information technology may be difficult to discern on your own display (y'all tin can click on each epitome to view them larger), the HiDPI mode makes macOS and apps expect much crisper, but significantly reduces the working resolution of the system.
You therefore likely won't want to work in HiDPI mode all the time, only once you've enabled it with the Terminal command, y'all can easily switch to information technology when you want to view a detail app or document with Retina-like quality, or if yous desire to temporarily make the UI easier to run across from a altitude without the reduction in quality that accompanies using a "normal" lower resolution, such every bit when displaying OS Ten on an HDTV across the room.
When you want to switch back to the default native resolution, just head back toOrganization Preferences > Displays and choose "Default for Brandish" or your preferred resolution from the "Scaled" list. It doesn't injure to leave HiDPI fashion enabled every bit an option in Bone X when you're not using it, but if yous desire to remove the HiDPI fashion resolutions from your "Scaled" resolutions list, simply run the following command in Terminal:
$ sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled
Just as when y'all enabled HiDPI mode in macOS, you'll need to both enter your admin password and reboot your Mac for the change to take upshot.
Third-Party Applications
If you lot'd rather not play around with Terminal commands, there are third-party apps and utilities that can enable HiDPI mode for you, in addition to other display-related functionality.
Here are some examples of third-party software that tin can enable HiDPI on macOS:
- ResolutionTab ($1.99, Mac App Store) ResolutionTab is a "menu bar app for fast switching between Standard & HiDPI display modes."
- SwitchResX ($15, shareware). SwitchResX, in particular, offers tons of boosted functionality for setting upward custom resolutions and refresh rates, just both of these apps can get yous in and out of HiDPI mode with just a click.
HiDPI mode certainly isn't a replacement for a true high-resolution Retina display, just information technology serves a useful office for those who occasionally need macOS/Os X to look sharper, such equally when taking high-quality screenshots, or for users who want a larger and easier to read interface without the blurriness of a standard lower resolution.
If you lot institute this commodity useful, you might want to check out other TechJunkie Mac articles, including How to Use Only a Dark Menu Bar and Dock in macOS Mojave and How to Edit the Hosts File on macOS (Mac OS X).
Practice y'all have whatever tips or tricks for turning on HiDPI style on your Mac? Do you know of whatever good tertiary party applications other than the two listed higher up? If and then, please tell us nearly it in the comments below!
Source: https://www.alphr.com/hidpi-mode-os-x/