SharpDisplay: sharp text on 1440p monitors in macOS
One button enables HiDPI modes on monitors where macOS does not offer them.
- ~540lines of Swift, no dependencies
- 4releases in 10 days, v1.0 to v1.1.2
- 5new HiDPI modes on my monitor
Challenge
macOS renders text at double resolution (HiDPI) only on 4K and larger screens, so on popular 1440p monitors text looks blurry. Existing fixes are paid, add latency or require risky edits to system files.
My role
The whole project: idea, code, testing and release.
What I did
- A native Swift and SwiftUI app with a single Turn On / Turn Off button.
- Generates a display override file with HiDPI modes and installs it through the system password prompt.
- Backs up any existing configuration.
- Programmatically “reconnects” the monitor so the new modes work without a restart.
- In v1.1 I fixed lost VRR: macOS lists every refresh rate twice and the public API cannot tell the variants apart, so the app asks the window server which one is variable.
- In-app size picker with no second password prompt, ultrawide support and a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel.
Result
- On an LG UltraGear 1440p at 180 Hz I get 5 new HiDPI modes, while VRR and full refresh rate keep working.
- Four MIT-licensed releases with a changelog, from v1.0 to v1.1.2.
Tools
Swift, SwiftUI, AppKit, Core Graphics, Property Lists, AppleScript, shell, Git, GitHub Releases