When it comes to laptop screens, there are a variety of measurement standards that can be used. This can make it difficult to understand just how big the screen on your new laptop is. In this guide, we’ll break down the different measurements and help you understand what they mean for your screen size.
How Laptop Screens are Measured – Ultimate Guide Step By Step
Step 1: Understanding Standardized Screen Sizes
There are five different measurements that a laptop screen can be measured by. Each one is a little bit different, but they’re mostly the same. Here’s a breakdown of each one and what it means for your screen size.
The most commonly used measurement is the diagonal screen size, which is seen as the product specification for the majority of screens. This number describes how many inches from corner-to-corner your screen’s diagonal is. In this guide, we’ll use a 15in laptop as an example.
Step 2: Understanding Resolution
Resolution is a bit more complicated than just measuring by the number of vertical or horizontal pixels. It’s measured in pixels-per-inch (PPI), and is a measure of how sharp the image on your screen appears. A higher resolution will mean that there are more pixels crammed into every inch, making for a sharper image.
Most laptops today have a resolution of 1920×1080, which is also called Full HD. This means that there are 1920 pixels running horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. Some laptops have a higher resolution, such as 2560×1440 or 3840×2160. If you’re looking to buy a new laptop, you’ll want to make sure that the resolution is high enough for your needs.
Step 3: Converting Between Standardized Screen Measurements
If you know the size of your screen (for example, 15in) and you’re looking for other sizes that might be less common, use the following conversions to help.
- Diagonal Size = 3.14 * Diagonal Length
- 15in laptop screen = 3.14 * 15in = 46.9in
- Screen Width = Diagonal Size / 2
- Screen Height = Diagonal Size / 1.414
- 15in laptop screen width = 46.9in / 2 = 23.45in
- 15in laptop screen height = 46.9in / 1.414 = 33.07in
- 16:9 Resolution (Widescreen) = Screen Width / 9
- 1920×1080 resolution = 1920/9 = 230.33
- 15in laptop screen with 1080p resolution = 33.07in * 9 / 16 = 2560/16 = 160ppi
Step 4: Understanding DPI and PPI
PPI is the measurement used to describe a screen’s sharpness. The higher the measure, the more detailed and clear your screen will be. This is because there are more pixels packed into every inch, giving you a denser display.
While PPI works as an overall measure of sharpness, DPI allows you to adjust your display based on your preferences. DPI stands for dots-per-inch, and it can be used to describe both printer dots and monitor pixels. The higher the DPI, the more detailed your images will appear. However, if you have a game or program that doesn’t support high resolutions or multiple monitors, setting things too high could cause issues for this software.
Measuring the Laptop Screen with a Tape
Measuring the laptop screen with a tape measurement or ruler will not give the most accurate reading. The best way to measure a laptop screen is by using diagonal size.
The diagonal size is measured from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner. This measurement includes the width and height of the screen. To get a more accurate reading, use a metal ruler instead of a plastic one.
How to measure the width of the laptop:
Measure the width of laptop by using a metal ruler. To get an accurate reading, place the ruler across the screen so that it runs parallel with the bottom edge of laptop. Hold onto one end of ruler and push it towards the opposite side of laptop until you feel pressure against screen. The point where pressure is felt is where diagonal width begins.
Measure diagonal width of laptop by using a metal ruler. Hold the end of ruler that is parallel to bottom edge against screen and push toward opposite side. Pressure against screen tells you where diagonal width starts. Continue holding onto measuring tool and make another mark exactly across from where first mark was made, creating a cross on the screen. The horizontal line over the top of both marks tells you where diagonal width ends.
How laptop screens are measured online:
Measure screen by holding metal ruler against screen, across top of laptop. Mark point where diagonal width starts with a pen or pencil. Hold ruler at this same angle and mark end of diagonal width exactly across from first mark. Making cross on screen shows you where diagonally measured screen ends. Measure height the same way, but begin at top edge of screen and measure down to bottom.
When you’re buying a new laptop, it’s important to know the resolution of the screen. This is the number of pixels that run horizontally and vertically on the display. Most laptops today have a resolution of 1920×1080, which is also called Full HD. If you’re looking for a higher resolution, you may want to consider a laptop with a resolution of 2560×1440 or 3840×2160.
To measure the diagonal size of your laptop screen, use a metal ruler and measure from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner. This will include both the width and height of the screen. Be sure to use a metal ruler instead of a plastic one, as it will give you a more accurate reading.
When measuring your laptop’s screen, it’s important to use diagonal size instead of just width or height
How laptop screens are measured with an A4 paper?:
Place A4 paper vertically against right hand side of screen. If screen falls short of A4 paper, measure from top edge of A4 paper to bottom edge of screen. If screen extends beyond A4 paper, measure from bottom edge of A4 paper to top edge of screen. Width is distance between two points where A4 paper and screen touch.
Measure width of laptop screen by placing A4 paper vertically against right hand side of screen. If screen falls short of A4 paper, measure from top edge of paper to bottom edge of screen. If it goes beyond the paper, measure from bottom edge of paper to top edge of screen. Width is distance between two points where A4 paper and screen touch.
When measuring your laptop’s screen, it’s important to use diagonal size instead of just width or height
How laptop screens are measured with a metal ruler?:
Place steel ruler diagonally across top of right-hand side of screen, with one end against side and other end at top edge of screen. If screen falls short of ruler, measure from top edge of ruler to bottom edge of screen. If screen extends beyond steel ruler, measure from bottom edge of ruler to top edge of screen.
Measure diagonal width of laptop by placing steel ruler diagonally across top of right-hand side of screen. With one end against side and other end at top edge of screen, if screen falls short of ruler, measure from top edge of ruler to bottom edge of screen. If it goes beyond the ruler, measure from bottom edge of the ruler to top edge of the screen. This will be the diagonal width.
When measuring your laptop’s screen, it’s important to use diagonal size instead of just width or height. This gives you a more accurate reading.
Most laptop screens are measured in inches, but you can also find this information in millimeters. To convert from inches to millimeters, divide the number of inches by 25.4. So, a laptop screen that is 15 inches would be 380 millimeters.
Conclusion:
The resolution of a laptop screen will let you know how many pixels there are from side to side and from top to bottom. This is important information for those who need to have the highest quality images possible, as well as those who do a lot of graphic design work on their laptops. In addition, knowing the full diagonal width and height of your laptop screen is vital in a number of ways. Knowing this information will help you find the right sized laptop bag, as well as give you an idea of how large your display is in comparison to others on the market.
