Display resolution
Introduction
Just like a monitor a pen display contains a display panel with a native display resolution.
Typical resolutions
Modern pen displays mostly use a small number of resolutions. The vast majority of pen displays use these three resolutions:
Full HD = 1920x1080
2.5K = 2560x1440
4K = 3840x2160
A few pen displays use resolutions such as 2560 x 1600.
Considerations
Seeing pixels
Some people are very sensitive to seeing pixels.
When drawing on a pen display you'll be much closer to it than when you are using a monitor
So you might notice the pixels more due to this proximity
Compatibility
The resolution with the least compatibility issues is 2K. This format has the least issues with ports, cables, GPUs, adapters, etc. As you start getting into higher resolutions, you have to be more careful about compatibility and ensure everything is going to work.
For example:
Not all HDMI cables support 4K
Some laptops struggle to support an external 4K display
Macintoshes have difficulty supporting 2.5K resolutions
Some systems support the higher resolutions but not a high-enough refresh rate. For example one of my laptops supports 4K but only at 30Hz instead of the standard 60Hz.
Recommendations for resolution
Choosing the right display resolution for a pen display
MacOS considerations
MacOS works with resolution differently than windows. In particular it renders text different and this can make text a little fuzzy at certain resolutions. Fortunately there are ways to mitigate the problem. See: Fuzzy text on displays with MacOS
Anti-glare sparkle
Given a specific physical size for a display panel, anti-glare sparkle is more noticeable on higher resolutions. See this document for more information: anti-glare sparkle.
Pixel density: Pixels-per-inch (PPI)
13"
169.45
225.94
338.91
16"
137.68
183.58
275.36
22"
100.13
133.51
200.26
24"
91.79
122.38
183.58
27"
81.59
108.79
163.18
32"
68.84
91.79
137.68
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