What a screen resolution chart shows
A screen resolution chart compares common pixel grids such as 1280 × 720, 1920 × 1080, 2560 × 1440, 3840 × 2160, and 7680 × 4320. These values describe the number of physical pixels available on a display or in an exported image or video file.
Most common resolution names
Names like HD, Full HD, QHD, UHD, 4K, 5K, and 8K are shorthand labels. The exact pixel dimensions still matter because two labels can be used differently across TVs, monitors, laptops, screenshots, and creative export presets.
How to use the chart for design and QA
For design handoff and QA, record the screen resolution together with viewport size and device pixel ratio. A 4K monitor can still show a website at a smaller CSS viewport because of OS scaling, browser zoom, or window size.
How to choose an export resolution
Choose export size based on the platform and the final crop. For widescreen video, 1920 × 1080 and 3840 × 2160 are common. For vertical video, use 1080 × 1920. For ultrawide banners or dashboard screenshots, 3440 × 1440 or 5120 × 1440 may be more relevant.
Resolution is not the same as sharpness
Resolution only tells you the pixel grid. Sharpness depends on pixel density, screen diagonal, viewing distance, and scaling. A phone can look sharper than a large monitor even with fewer total pixels because the pixels are packed more tightly.
Screen resolution chart
Compare common pixel grids by dimensions, aspect ratio, total pixels, and best-use context. Keep this table as the practical reference when choosing an export size or documenting display QA.
Common display and export sizes
Scroll sideways on small screens
| Name | Pixel dimensions | Aspect ratio | Total pixels | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD / 720p | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 | 0.92 MP | Lightweight video exports, older laptop displays, quick previews, and small embedded media. |
| Full HD / 1080p Most common | 1920 × 1080 | 16:9 | 2.07 MP | Common monitor resolution, YouTube export size, presentation baseline, screenshots, and web previews. |
| QHD / 1440p Gaming pick | 2560 × 1440 | 16:9 | 3.69 MP | Gaming monitors, design review, sharper desktop UI screenshots, and balanced GPU performance. |
| Ultrawide QHD | 3440 × 1440 | 21:9 | 4.95 MP | Ultrawide monitors, video timelines, dashboards, trading layouts, and cinematic desktop screenshots. |
| 4K UHD Premium video | 3840 × 2160 | 16:9 | 8.29 MP | 4K TVs, high-resolution monitors, premium YouTube exports, design mockups, and detailed screenshots. |
| 5K | 5120 × 2880 | 16:9 | 14.75 MP | High-density desktop displays, creative review, photography work, and detailed UI previews. |
| Super ultrawide | 5120 × 1440 | 32:9 | 7.37 MP | 49-inch monitors, racing simulators, wide dashboards, side-by-side apps, and panoramic captures. |
| 8K UHD | 7680 × 4320 | 16:9 | 33.18 MP | Large premium TVs, high-end production workflows, future-proof exports, and large-format review. |
| Vertical Full HD | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | 2.07 MP | TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat stories, mobile ads, and vertical social exports. |
Pixel-count comparison
Higher pixel counts provide more detail, but they also increase export size, processing load, and performance requirements.
Best web baseline
1080p is still a useful export and screenshot reference.
Best gaming balance
1440p often balances sharpness and performance.
Best video quality
4K is a common premium export and display target.
Best layout debugging
Pair resolution with viewport, DPR, browser, and OS.
Checklist
- ✓ Check the final platform requirement before choosing an export size
- ✓ Confirm the exact pixel dimensions, not only the marketing label
- ✓ Confirm the aspect ratio before cropping or resizing
- ✓ Check file size limits for video, social, CMS, or ad uploads
- ✓ Decide whether the asset is for screen display or print output
- ✓ Use PPI and viewing distance when comparing display sharpness
- ✓ Use retina or high-DPI export sizes when the platform needs sharper images
- ✓ Record viewport size separately when the resolution is used for website QA
- ✓ Check browser zoom and OS scaling when comparing screenshots
- ✓ Choose export size based on platform crop and final use case