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So I have recently upgraded to a Windows ultrabook with a high resolution display. All my software seems to cope just fine with the high resolution, except for Mathematica 10. Mathematica seems to pretend the screen resolution is lower, and blurs both frontend text and graphics output.

How can I configure the interface to display crisp text?

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  • $\begingroup$ Does this help? $\endgroup$
    – mfvonh
    Commented Aug 25, 2014 at 5:37
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    $\begingroup$ Also, this seems to be closely related: (18419). I don't know if Mathematica 10 for Windows supports high-PPI displays. $\endgroup$
    – Mr.Wizard
    Commented Aug 25, 2014 at 6:36
  • $\begingroup$ Actually there are many programs that have trouble with scaling on high resolution displays. At least Mathematica displays everything correctly and at a readable size, even if blurry. I don't believe there is a user-end solution here. We'll need to wait until Wolfram starts supporting high resolution displays on Windows. $\endgroup$
    – Szabolcs
    Commented Mar 12, 2015 at 20:39
  • $\begingroup$ @Szabolcs Following the maxim of "don't answer in comments" perhaps you should post that properly? No other answer has been forthcoming. $\endgroup$
    – Mr.Wizard
    Commented Mar 12, 2015 at 21:02
  • $\begingroup$ @Mr.Wizard While I don't believe that there's a user-end solution, but I might be wrong ... I've been away from Windows for quite a while until I bumped into the same problem recently. $\endgroup$
    – Szabolcs
    Commented Mar 12, 2015 at 21:25

2 Answers 2

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Mathematica 10 is not high-DPI-aware on Windows and so Windows renders it at the native resolution and then scales it by a factor of 2 by default to make it readable. Once Mathematica supports high-DPI displays in Windows, they will be able to properly render text and graphics that aren't blurry.

If you're running Windows 8.1, you can disable this default scaling of 2 for the application by right clicking on the Mathematica shortcut and going to "Properties" and then the "Compatibility" tab and check the box "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings." Once you do this and restart Mathematica, everything will be tiny but crisp and not blurry.

You can zoom by a factor of 2 by executing:

In[1]:= SetOptions[$FrontEnd, Magnification -> 2]

Doing the above will result in crisp plots and fonts that are a readable size and it should save between sessions and between notebooks. It's not nearly as nice as native awareness of high-DPI settings that Wolfram could implement, but it's a stopgap. It doesn't apply universally, so help windows are a bit of an nuisance etc.

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  • $\begingroup$ On Mac, high DPI works natively. This setting helps out a bit on Windows as suggested, but e.g. the search bar in the Documentation Center will look awkward. $\endgroup$
    – masterxilo
    Commented Apr 28, 2016 at 21:34
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I had/have this issue on Win 10, Mathematica 11.2

My solution is:

  1. Make shortcut to the Mathematica on Desktop.

  2. Then right click the shortcut, Properties, Open Compatibility tab and set options Override high DPI scaling for Application like on the screenshot below.

  3. WORKED for me!

Settings for DPI compatibility

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    $\begingroup$ This does NOT work. You end up with tiny windows and interface elements, which is an issue that cannot be fully solved by fiddling with the Magnification setting as noted in Sydius' answer above. Bottom line, Mathematica is currently incompatible with high-DPI screens. $\endgroup$
    – Pirx
    Commented Dec 4, 2017 at 11:59
  • $\begingroup$ @Prix: You are probably right about Mathematica 10. My claim is for current version 11.2. I have crystal clear text on my screen. $\endgroup$
    – drgrujic
    Commented Dec 5, 2017 at 12:35
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    $\begingroup$ Sure you'll have crystal-clear text, but it's going to be tiny; which can be fixed by changing the magnification, at which point various interface elements (stuff like toolbar icons and such) will still be tiny. The same will be true for images in the help files, etc., etc. The situation in this respect is the exact same in the latest Mathematica version as it was in all versions before. The statement in my comment above stands. $\endgroup$
    – Pirx
    Commented Dec 6, 2017 at 14:31
  • $\begingroup$ Great, it works for me! $\endgroup$
    – withparadox2
    Commented Jul 25, 2020 at 5:27

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