How to make text on your screen larger or smaller in Windows 7

Learning Windows 7 Logo

If you are having trouble reading from your screen, Windows 7 can help to better visualize text and other items, like icons on the computer screen, by making them larger.

You can accomplish this without having the need to increase the screen resolution of your laptop or desktop computer monitor.

How to change the DPI scaling settings on Windows 7

To make text and other items larger follow these steps:

  1. Open Start, search for Display, and press Enter.

  2. On the Display options choose one that will be best suited for your needs:

    • Smaller – 100% (default): This is your normal setting that keeps everything at its original sizes.
    • Medium – 125%: This option will increase the text and other items size to 125% of the original size.
    • Larger – 150%: This option will increase the text and other items size to 150% of the original size. Keep in mind that this last setting will only appear on computer monitors or laptops capable of resolution equal or larger than 1200 x 900 pixels.

    Windows 7 - Display Options (DPI)

  3. Click Apply.

Now for the changes to take effect, save any open file, close all the programs, sign out and sign back into Windows.

Tip: If you need to temporarily enlarge part of the screen, you can use the Magnifier tool built-in Windows by just open the Start menu, type magnifier, and pressing Enter.

This Windows 7 feature is great because it allows you to enlarge the screen text and other items while keeping the optimal supported screen resolution and avoiding blurry text on LCD monitors or laptops.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.