Make items on the screen appear bigger (Magnifier)

Magnifier enlarges different parts of the screen. This is especially useful for viewing objects that are difficult to see, but also for seeing the whole screen more easily.

There are three modes:

• Full-screen mode. In full-screen mode, your entire screen is magnified. You can then have Magnifier follow the mouse pointer.
• Lens mode. In lens mode, the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When you move the mouse pointer, the area of the screen that's magnified moves along with it.
• Docked mode. In docked mode, only a portion of the screen is magnified, leaving the rest of your desktop in a normal state. You can then control which area of the screen is magnified.

Note

• Full-screen mode and lens mode are only available as part of the Aero experience. If your computer doesn't support Aero, or if you're using a theme other than an Aero theme, Magnifier will only work in docked mode.

1. Click to open Magnifier.
2. On the Views menu, click the mode that you want to use.
3. Move the pointer to the part of the screen that you want to magnify.

   Notes

   • To exit Magnifier, press the Windows logo key +Esc.

   • When you're using full-screen mode, you can quickly preview your entire desktop by clicking the Views menu, and then clicking Preview full screen.

   • For a list of keyboard shortcuts that you can use with Magnifier, see Keyboard shortcuts.

 To choose where Magnifier focuses

1. Click to open Magnifier.
2. Click the Options button , and then select the option that you want:

   Option	Description
   Follow the mouse pointer	Displays the area around the mouse pointer in the Magnifier window. When you select this option, you can choose to have the Magnifier window move when the mouse pointer approaches or when the mouse pointer hits the edge of the Magnifier window.
   Follow the keyboard focus	Displays the area around the pointer when you press the Tab or arrow keys.
   Have Magnifier follow the text insertion point	Displays the area around the text that you're typing.

 To change the zoom level

1. Click to open Magnifier.
2. Do one of the following:

   To	Do this
   Zoom in	Click Zoom in  or press the Windows logo key +Plus sign
   Zoom out	Click Zoom out  or press the Windows logo key +Minus sign

 To set the zoom increment

The zoom increment determines how quickly Magnifier zooms in and out.
1. Click to open Magnifier.
2. Click the Options button  , and then move the slider to adjust the zoom increment. Moving the slider to the left causes Magnifier to zoom slower, with smaller changes between zoom levels. Moving the slider to the right causes Magnifier to zoom faster, with larger changes between zoom levels.

 To set the lens size

When you're using lens mode, you can adjust the size of the Magnifier lens.
1. Click to open Magnifier.
2. Click the Options button , and then, under Magnifier Lens Size, move the sliders to adjust the size of the Magnifier lens. The lens size changes right away. Adjust the level until it's right for you.

   Notes

   • You must be using lens mode for the lens size options to appear.

   • You can quickly change the lens size by pressing Ctrl+Alt+R, and then moving the pointer up and down to change the height, and left and right to change the width.

 To turn on color inversion

Turning on color inversion increases the contrast between items on your screen, which can help make your screen easier to see.
1. Click to open Magnifier.
2. Click the Options button , and then select the Turn on color inversion check box.

 To display the Magnifier toolbar

1. Click to open Magnifier.
2. Click the magnifying glass icon  or click Magnifier on the taskbar.