Simple Ways To Measure Your Monitor's Dimensions

There are several ways to find the width and height of your monitor or screen. The most common method is to use a measuring tape or ruler to measure the screen diagonally from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner, excluding the bezel or frame. This method applies to desktop monitors, laptop screens, smartphone screens, and tablet screens. Alternatively, you can determine the width and height by first measuring the horizontal length and vertical height of the screen and then multiplying those two measurements to get the area size. Another approach is to look up the model number of your monitor online, which often includes the screen size. For laptops, you can also check the specifications, which typically include the screen size. If you're using Windows, you can right-click on your desktop, go to Display Settings, and then Scale and Layout to find the resolution, which will give you the dimensions in pixels.

Measure the height and width of the screen

To measure the height and width of your monitor, you will need a measuring tape or a ruler.

First, measure the horizontal length of your monitor screen. Place the measuring tape or ruler at the top-left corner of the screen and pull it down diagonally to the bottom-right corner. Be sure to only measure the screen and not the bezel (the plastic edge) or frame around it.

Next, measure the vertical height of the monitor screen in the same way, excluding the frame. Then, you can multiply the length by the height to get the area size of the screen. For example, if your monitor measures 16 inches in length and 10 inches in height, the image area will be 16 x 10 = 160 inches.

You can also use these measurements to find the aspect ratio of your monitor. Computer monitors typically have an aspect ratio of 4:3, 5:3, 16:9, or 16:10. To find the aspect ratio, compare the length and height and reduce the numbers if necessary. For instance, if the length is 16 inches and the height is 10 inches, the aspect ratio is 16:10.

Additionally, you can find the diagonal measurement of your monitor, which is often used to describe the size. Simply use the Pythagorean theorem by squaring the screen's height and width, adding the two numbers, and then finding the square root of the sum. This will give you the diagonal measurement.

Calculate the screen's area

To calculate the area of a screen, you need to know the height and width of the screen. You can then multiply these two measurements to get the screen size or area of the screen.

For example, if the height of your screen is 10 inches (25.4 cm), and the width is 16 inches (40.6 cm), the screen area is 16 x 10 = 160 square inches.

It's important to note that when measuring the height and width, you should only measure the image area or viewing screen. This means excluding the frame, border, or bezel (the plastic, metal, or glass edge) around the screen.

If you don't want to measure the height and width directly, you can also calculate the screen area using the diagonal screen size and the aspect ratio. The diagonal screen size is often used to describe the size of a monitor. You can measure this with a tape measure or ruler by finding the distance between two opposite corners of the screen. For example, you can measure the distance between the top left corner and the bottom right corner.

Let's say you have a screen with a diagonal measurement of 5.8 inches and an aspect ratio of 16:9. You can use the following formulas to calculate the height and width:

Height = diagonal / √(AR²+1), where AR is the aspect ratio

Width = AR x height

Plugging in the values, we get:

Height = 5.8" / √((16/9)² + 1) = 5.8" / 2.04 = 2.84"

Width = (16/9) x 2.84" = 5.06"

Now that we have the height and width, we can calculate the screen area:

Area = height x width

So, the area of this screen is:

Area = 2.84" x 5.06" = 14.37 square inches

These calculations can be adapted to various screen sizes and aspect ratios.

Find the aspect ratio

The aspect ratio of a monitor is the proportional relationship between its width and height. It is usually expressed as two numbers separated by a colon, like 16:9. The aspect ratio does not tell you the size of the screen, but rather the proportion between the height and width.

To find the aspect ratio of your monitor, you need to measure the width and height of the screen in pixels or inches, and then divide the width by the height. For example, a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels would result in an aspect ratio of 16:9 (1920 divided by 1080 equals 1.78).

You can also use online aspect ratio calculators or tools to measure the aspect ratio of your monitor. If you are measuring in pixels, make sure the monitor is set to its native resolution.

Step 1: Identify the resolution of your monitor

You can usually find this information in the product specifications or settings of your computer.

Step 2: Measure the width and height of the screen

Use a ruler or measuring tape to measure the width and height of the screen in pixels or inches. If you are measuring in inches, start at the top-left corner and pull diagonally to the bottom-right corner of the screen. Be sure to only measure the screen and not the bezel or frame around it.

Step 3: Divide the width by the height

Divide the width of the screen by its height to get the aspect ratio. For example, if your screen has a width of 1920 pixels and a height of 1080 pixels, your aspect ratio would be 16:9.

Common aspect ratios for monitors include:

• 1.33:1 (4:3) - This aspect ratio was standard for many CRT monitors and early LCD monitors.
• 1.66:1 (5:3) - This aspect ratio is commonly used in European cinema.
• 1.78:1 (16:9) - This is the most common aspect ratio for widescreen monitors and is used for HDTV and most video content.
• 1.85:1 - This aspect ratio is commonly used in North American cinema.
• 2.35:1 - This is an ultra-widescreen aspect ratio used in cinema for panoramic shots. Some monitors with this aspect ratio are available for gaming and professional applications.

Measure the diagonal

To measure the diagonal of your monitor, you will need a measuring tape or a ruler.

First, place the measuring tape in the top-left corner of the screen. Pull it diagonally to the bottom-right corner. Ensure that you only measure the screen and do not include the bezel (the plastic edge) or the frame around the screen.

If you are using a ruler, you can measure the horizontal length and vertical height of the screen separately, and then use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the diagonal. Square the screen's width and height, add the two numbers together, and then find the square root of the sum. This will give you the diagonal measurement of your monitor.

The diagonal measurement is usually what people refer to when describing the size of a monitor. For example, a 5.8-inch smartphone screen refers to the diagonal of the screen.

Use the Pythagorean theorem

The Pythagorean theorem is a useful way to determine the width and height of a monitor when you know the diagonal length and the aspect ratio. The theorem states that the square of the hypotenuse (diagonal) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (width and height).

Let's say you have a monitor with a diagonal length of 27 inches and an aspect ratio of 16:9. We can denote the width of the monitor as 'w' and the height as 'h'. The aspect ratio tells us that the ratio of width to height is 16/9, or written as a fraction, 16:9. We can use this information to set up an equation:

W/h = 16/9

Now, we can rearrange and simplify this equation to solve for w:

9w = 16h

W = (16h)/9

Next, we can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the width and height. The theorem can be written as:

D^2 = w^2 + h^2

Substituting our values into this equation, we get:

27^2 = w^2 + h^2

We already found an equation for w in terms of h, so we can substitute that in as well:

729 = ((16h)/9)^2 + h^2

Now, we can simplify and solve for h:

729 = (256h^2 / 81) + h^2

59049 = 256h^2 + 81h^2

59049 = 337h^2

H^2 = 59049 / 337

H ≈ √(59049 / 337)

H ≈ 9.04 inches

So, the approximate height of the monitor is 9.04 inches.

We can now find the width by substituting our value for h back into our equation for w:

W = (16h)/9

W = (16 * 9.04)/9

W ≈ 16.09 inches

Therefore, using the Pythagorean theorem and the aspect ratio, we've found that the monitor's height is approximately 9.04 inches, and its width is approximately 16.09 inches.

This method can be applied to any monitor for which you know the diagonal length and the aspect ratio.

Frequently asked questions