I am becoming increasingly irritated with my monitor’s screen resolution. I changed it to see how a client was viewing his new site with a high res setting, which was way too small for me (2500 x something) and when I went to change mine back to my previous settings – 1400 x 900 – I couldn’t. No matter what I did it just wasn’t happening. What the hell? Nothing else has changed. No new drivers, no updates to ANYthing. I am stuck with 1680 x 1050 (not ideal) vs 1360 x 768 (huge everything!).
I can read content ok, but things aren’t as pretty as they could be to me. The majority of websites look like crap… patterned backgrounds not wide or long enough, sites that aren’t centered. Heck, even some of my own site(s) aren’t as attractive which compels me to redesign them, NOW. It’s throwing me off in my own design process. I usually average my sites to look best @ at least 1024 x 768 even though the current trend is 76% higher than that.
Along with the screen res issue, now that I have my laptop side-by-side with my desktop, the color differences in monitors is just as annoying. My large monitor is color calibrated, vibrant & saturated with stunning graphics, but when I cross-check sites on other computers the view is discouraging (and ugly).
What to do?
I realize that I have no control how everyone else views the web… their screen resolution, color settings and the browser that they use ( don’t even get me started on browsers!), I can only do the best that I can. But this damn screen res setting on my pc definitely needs a solution asap!
Any suggestions? Anyone?
I found this on a computer help site “Go to your pc’s manufactures web site>downloads>drivers>display or video adapter>(Windows XP or whatever you’re running) you may have to enter pc model or pc serial no.”
As far as the websites not looking the “same” with other resolutions I recently had this problem.. went on someone else’s computer with a huge screen res and saw that a guestbook entry part was wayyy off from the header and i gasped.. i wondered how many people had seen that ugly crap! I fixed it later but it is a pain in the ass when you’re designing to have to create something and make sure it looks ok in different browsers and different screen resolutions.. bah! lol
Hi Lynn,
I’ve just been messing with all things video card/display/monitor settings both at the driver website, my settings & set-up, troubleshooting and on and on and on with no solution.
I just think that it’s crazy that what was once available disappeared without doing anything. bah – my eyeballs hurt and I’ve wasted waay too much time fartin’ around with it.
poo.
Kitty, might it be connected to the 72/96dpi v 120dpi problem which has been absorbing me for almost a week? Windows 7 automatically, by default, scales up the font dpi setting to 125% (120dpi). So everything looks different but the monitor’s underlying resolutions in unchanged. But sites designed at this size will display teeny tiny at 96dpi and forms and text can overspill, especially overspill forms. I am almost crazy trying to work it out – not being technical as you know. Have even considered perservering with ems as opposed to pix. Good grief.
Can’t think why your monitor won’t go back. Monitors are mysterious creatures. My new one has a refresh rate of 59. Yes. 59. Not 58. Not 60. I find it disturbing.
I am so wishing I hadn’t bought a big screen. Big mistake – until such time as everyone else has one, too. It’s like 72/96 dpi all over again………..
Not that this helps but I used to have that problem with my PC on Windows XP. It gets put in a “safe” mode sometimes when changing resolutions. It happens a lot with gamers whose games change the resolution quite often. If you have a backup system go back to before you did it or search on the internet on how to get your computer out of this safe mode. I used to have the remote support do it for me (from dell). But now I have a Mac and I can tell you, your sites look great on my Mac laptop!