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
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.
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