Modified:
Feb 21, 2023
Created:
Oct 24, 2006
Views:
37640
Author:
JH

Images look pixelated or soft on the screen or projector

If your displayed images do not look sharp when displayed in ProSelect, you can adjust the settings discussed below. Some settings effect how images are displayed throughout the software while others effect the quality of the display when playing the slideshow or using two screens (e.g. a computer with an attached projector). 

Using a projector

The quality of the projector that you are using and the size of your projection screen can have a big impact on the quality of your displayed images. The higher resolution (and more expensive!) projectors can give a far superior display.  If you are not sure if your projector or your ProSelect settings are the cause of the low quality display, try displaying your images using Photoshop or Lightroom as a comparison. The results should be similar to ProSelect and, if not, then review your ProSelect settings below. 

If you are uncertain about what projector you should use, then best get advice from an expert or another photographer who has a working projector setup. You will also find helpful information and hints on the Prostudio Software website page "Using Projectors and Large Screen TVs for your presentations".

Imported Resolution (effects everything)

When you load high resolution images into ProSelect, the program creates low resolution copies to use during the sales presentation.  If your images appear pixelated when projecting, then possibly you are importing images at too small a size and they are being scaled up to fit a larger screen space when displayed in ProSelect.

If you are using a modern fast computer, it is best to have ProSelect import your images at the maximum size. In the latest versions of ProSelect this is 3240x2160 pixels. This setting  is under Preferences -> Adding Images -> Re-size to.  

If you are using a projector connected to your computer then it is best to use a resolution that is similar to your projector screen size so that you are not unnecessarily slowing things down. For a 1080HD projector the best size would be 1920x1200 or 2400x1600.

IMPORTANT: Unless you are planning not to use the imported images for final production, you should not resize your images down before importing them into ProSelect. Best to always import images at original resolution and let ProSelect make low res copies for your presentation or make sure that they are larger than 2400 pixels on the long side. If you change the above settings you need to re-import or re-load your images into ProSelect.

If you are using a slower computer and smaller screen, importing at a lower resolution will make operations in ProSelect faster. See the section How Far Can You Zoom?" in the article  Zooming in for more detail for more about this.

Sharpening on Import (effects everything)

Whenever images are re-sized there is usually a slight lose of clarity. This can happen when you import images into ProSelect. To compensate for this you can check the Sharpening: Add while importing checkbox in Preferences -> Adding Images -> Image Conversion.

If you change the above settings you need to re-import or re-load your images into ProSelect.

Display Scaling (Windows computers only)

Generally, you should set the Display Scaling for each of your screens (if you have more than one) to be 100% for standard screens and 200% on Hi-DPI screens. On Windows 10, this is done in Display Settings (right-click on the desktop). These are usually the "Recommended" settings. Versions of ProSelect prior to 2019r1 do not directly support Hi-DPI screens so any images displayed on these screens using those versions are automatically scaled up 2 times (assuming you have set the scaling to 200%) and will look a little softer than when using 2019r1.  

Turn off "Expand Small images" (effects display in Show Images view)

In earlier versions of ProSelect, you could enabled/disabled under the View Menu in ProSelect. It only effects the quality of your images if you have imported them at a resolution that is smaller than the size of your display (which shouldn't be the case if use made the above changes!). The latest versions are set to always expand your images.

Using Mirror Display Area (effects everything)

If you have two separate displays and your projection screen (or big screen TV) has a larger pixel resolution that your computer screen (such as when using a small laptop to control your second screen), you will get best results if you uncheck Keep Same Size in Preferences -> Display -> Calibration & Options -> Display Mirroring. This will allow ProSelect to take maximum advantage of your larger second screen.

See the Using Two Screens section of the ProSelect Reference Manual for more about this topic.

OpenGL Upscaling (effects slideshow in ProSelect 2013r1 and newer)

ProSelect 2013r1 and newer uses OpenGL for playing slideshows. To maximize performance, by default, ProSelect uses 20% OpenGL upscaling which will slightly reduce image quality. However, if you have a newer faster computer (and/or a smaller screen size) you can adjust this setting between Highest Quality and Highest Performance in Preferences -> Slideshow -> OpenGL Upscaling. Slide the control all the way to the left for maximum display quality.

In ProSelect 2016r1 and newer, by default, the upscaling value is automatically adjusted according to the size of the screen that you are using for the slideshow. If you wish to override this, then you need to also uncheck the Auto Scaling checkbox and ProSelect will then use the setting that you have selected on the slider control.

 

 

 


KnowledgeBase Article: Images look pixelated or soft on the screen or projector