Display resolution

Introduction

Just like a monitor a pen display contains a display panel with a native display resolution.

Monitors tend to have a large variety of resolutions, but pen displays have just 3:

• 2K (aka HD) = 1920x1080

• 2.5K = 2560x1440

• 4K = 3840x2160

Some considerations about the display resolution

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.

Pixels-per-Inch at different diagonal sizes

Diagonal size	2K (HD)	2.5K	4K
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

You can find PPI values by using this tool: https://www.sven.de/dpi/

Picking between 2.5K vs 4K resolution

People often ask about picking between these two resolutions. Overall I think 2.5K is the best value for your money.

Especially at the 13" and 16" sizes, a 2.5K delivers a massive increase over 2K. After that the benefits are incremental.

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.