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Confused about scaling on 5k iMac

I just got my 5k iMac yesterday. This is my first Mac computer.

I am confused about screen resolution and the scaling options. I am confused by what, if anything, I am actually viewing in 5k resolution. From the reviews I read, I had the expectation that text and menus would be scaled (doubled by default) but that photographs and videos would actually use all 5k pixels at 5k resolution. Is that correct?

I opened an image, a little larger than 5k in size with the default program (preview). I used the command 0 to make it show actual resolution, and it only showed half of the image, so it doesn't seem to be using the 5k to view images.

I then tried to open the image with iPhoto. In iPhoto, it has a mangification glass that I can slide, but how do I view which magnification percentage I am at? Anyway, my initial impression is that iPhoto is probably not opening the image at 5k resolution either.?

I tried opening a 4k youtube video but was not sure if I was actually seeing it in 4k or how to tell? That is probably doubled pixels too, so 2.5k instead of 5?

Overall, I think I would like larger text and icons but I want to see the images in full resolution. The "dashboard" widgets seem to be overly small for such a large screen.

My main question is what if anything (other than the desktop background) appears in full 5k resolution with the default settings in the included Mac applications? Is there an easy way in iPhoto or Preview to know what magnification of the image I am viewing? In the settings, one can toggle between different resolutions, but full 5k is not a choice. What screen resolution settings are most people using? How do I open an image and view it at 5k resolution?

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)

Posted on Nov 27, 2014 8:01 AM

23 replies

Cbuzio

Level 1

0 points

Feb 28, 2016 7:19 AM in response to dialabrain

You are right, I think I was testing the wrong image, one that I had exported at double the dpi as a test (and then, having the exact same pixels but double the dpi, showed it as 50% the size and not pixelated)

So it seems like there is no way of resolving this until Apple decides to do so, correct?

dialabrain

Level 10

122,735 points

Feb 28, 2016 7:23 AM in response to Cbuzio

I'm not sure what you think there is to resolve. A 5k iMac is always 5k. How you choose to display images or streams is the only difference.

Cbuzio

Level 1

0 points

Feb 28, 2016 7:40 AM in response to dialabrain

Sorry, I suppose the issue then is that it is a retina display.

I suppose there are two issues here that Chris (first post) has mentioned.

One is that pictures in preview seem pixelated when displayed at "Actual Size", and the other is about watching a 5K video with quicktime.

The first one seems to be related to the fact that it is a retina display, and the other is that this retina display (the newest iMac) is also 5K.

I was trying to understand if there is some setting I have to change in preview to see the picture at the actual size with my retina display, where one image pixel is actually one screen pixel.

dialabrain

Level 10

122,735 points

Feb 28, 2016 7:57 AM in response to Cbuzio

Okay. First, are you using "Default for the display" in the Display settings or Scaled"?

I didn't see where Chris mentioned pixelation but if I view a 5120x2880 image in Preview at actual size it is not pixelated.

I can't speak about 5k videos because I wasn't aware there are any. I do watch NetFlix 4k Ultra HD videos in full screen and they look great.

I'm probably just missing the point somewhere.

Cbuzio

Level 1

0 points

Feb 28, 2016 8:07 AM in response to dialabrain

I'm using "Default for display"

The picture I am using has 700px per 394px. I see it at the correct size in Photoshop but preview shows it bigger and pixelated when the "Actual Size" is selected. So technically it doesn't seem to interpret one image pixel as 1 screen pixel... more like 1 image pixel is 4 screen pixels.

I'm now thinking this might be a different issue, do you think I should open a new thread for this issue in particular?

(on a side note, I haven't found any 5K footage either, I don't think it exists, 4K from a video on youtube looked amazing)

dialabrain

Level 10

122,735 points

Feb 28, 2016 8:16 AM in response to Cbuzio

I see, (I Think) 😁

The 5k Macs are 218 p.p.i. That can't change no matter what. I don't use Photoshop anymore but it just sounds like it's using a better or different method of scaling. Neither is correct however. Only if you had some 218px images to look at would it be a true 1to1 correspondence.

Cbuzio

Level 1

0 points

Feb 28, 2016 8:33 AM in response to dialabrain

Interesting! I think I am sloooowly starting to understand the whole resolution thing. Thank you for the patience!

I suppose what confused me is that I used to have a non-retina display, and photoshop and preview would interpret the image in a similar way, with similar perceived sizes.

Now they are very different but photoshop shows it smaller and sharper, which led me to conclude that preview must have some setting I cannot find to change the resolution or the way it concludes what the "actual size" is.

dialabrain

Level 10

122,735 points

Feb 28, 2016 8:38 AM in response to Cbuzio

No particular setting to change how Preview displays other than the two we talked about. Preview is sort of self-explanatory I think. It was never meant to be a high end viewer or graphics program. Just a general use program that can open images and PDFs etc.

Confused about scaling on 5k iMac