To find your monitor screen ratio, also known as its aspect ratio, you need to divide the screen's width by its height.
The aspect ratio describes the proportional relationship between your screen's width and its height. It's typically expressed as two numbers separated by a colon, like 16:9 or 4:3.
Here's how to calculate it using the dimensions of your screen:
Steps to Calculate Your Monitor's Aspect Ratio
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Measure Your Screen Dimensions:
- You can measure the width and height of the screen itself (the visible area, not including the bezel or frame) in either pixels or inches.
- Using Pixels: This is often the most accurate method. Find your monitor's current display resolution in your operating system's display settings. For example, a common resolution is 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high. If you measure in pixels, make sure the monitor is set to its native resolution for an accurate representation of its physical proportions.
- Using Inches: You can physically measure the width and height of the screen using a ruler or tape measure. Measure only the illuminated part of the screen diagonally for the diagonal size, but you need the horizontal (width) and vertical (height) measurements for the aspect ratio.
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Divide Width by Height:
- Take the width measurement and divide the width by the height.
- For example, if your resolution is 1920x1080 pixels:
1920 / 1080 = 1.777... - If your physical measurement is, say, 13.5 inches wide by 10.125 inches high (like an old 4:3 screen):
13.5 / 10.125 = 1.333...
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Simplify the Result to a Ratio:
- The result of the division (like 1.777... or 1.333...) needs to be converted into a simple ratio (X:Y).
- Most modern monitors have a ratio of 16:9. When you divide 16 by 9, you get approximately 1.777.
- Older monitors often had a 4:3 ratio. When you divide 4 by 3, you get approximately 1.333.
- Ultrawide monitors might have ratios like 21:9 (21 / 9 ≈ 2.333) or even wider.
To convert your decimal result (like 1.777) back to a ratio, you can try multiplying the decimal by integers until you get close to a whole number for the second part of the ratio (usually 9 or 3 or 10 or 16 for the first part, and then simplify). A simpler way is often to recognize the decimal value based on common ratios.
Common Aspect Ratios and Their Decimal Values
| Ratio | Division Result (approx.) | Common Resolutions |
|---|---|---|
| 4:3 | 1.33 | 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1600x1200 |
| 16:10 | 1.6 | 1280x800, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600 |
| 16:9 | 1.77 | 1280x720, 1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160 |
| 21:9 | 2.33 | 2560x1080, 3440x1440, 5120x2160 |
| 32:9 | 3.55 | 3840x1080, 5120x1440 |
By measuring your screen's dimensions and performing the simple division of width by height, you can determine its precise aspect ratio.
