Increasing size of Apple Menu Bar without decreasing resolution

Question

Level 1

7 points

Increasing size of Apple Menu Bar without decreasing resolution

I have worked with several people with bad vision to optimize their viewing experience on iMacs 27". I can change most icons and fonts, and even enable zooming, which helps. However, the Apple Menu Bar, which is needed a lot for Applications and Utilities, etc,etc is not re-sizable unless downgrading display resolution.

I can't find a solution to increase the size, much like you can do with the Dock, without decreasing the resolution of the monitor; defeating the purpose of the larger screen, and compromising the richness/clarity of the fonts and menus. I realize scaling is an option, but it doesn't always work without considerable fussiness, and the iMac 27" is perhaps too small to scale without significant loss of image, font or icon quality for this person. I have contemplated recommending a new purchase of a system that can support 4K2K display with better pixel pitch, like a Mac Mini with a third party monitor with great pixel pitch (allowing for greater range of resolutions).

Currently looking for solutions with which others have found success. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on May 11, 2016 8:15 PM

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Answer 1

dwb

Level 7

33,310 points

May 12, 2016 5:57 AM in response to rmarin963

Prior to Apple’s release of the so-called retina iMacs, changing resolutions did result in fuzzy text. The 4K and 5K iMacs have more than one resolution which is sharp. Is your experience only with the older iMacs or the current ones? As MichelPM said, there’s no way to change the menubar or the text in menus other than changing resolution or as you’ve mentioned zooming. This is one area where Microsoft is doing a better job than Apple.

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Answer 2

MichelPM

Level 10

81,547 points

May 12, 2016 3:42 AM in response to rmarin963

I have scaled my 27 inch iMac monitor down ( I do not own a retina display iMac so I do not know what you see) to 1920 x1080 and there is really no appreciable loss of sharpness nor blurriness of the display.

And I work as a graphics and digital illustrator.

The drop in screen resolution on my older iMac hasn't had a major visual impact on the quality of OS X.

There is no workaround for the Apple menu bar.

There hasn't been a way to independently scale the Apple Menu Bar for a long time.

It's either scale the screen resolution by holding down the Option Key while clicking the Displays preferences icon in the System Preferences Pane and picking the next best screen resolution OR live with smaller size menu bar as it appears at the iMac's native resolution.

I chose my eyesight over the iMac's native screen resolution many years, ago.

Yours or other users' choice on this.

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

136,379 points

May 12, 2016 6:35 AM in response to MichelPM

MichelPM wrote:

It's either scale the screen resolution by holding down the Option Key while clicking the Displays preferences icon in the System Preferences Pane and picking the next best screen resolution OR live with smaller size menu bar as it appears at the iMac's native resolution.

Oops. I didn't read your entire post. 😎

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