Change Display preferences on Mac for Pro Display XDR
On your Mac, use the Display pane of Displays System Preferences to adjust resolution and brightness, and to set other options for your Apple Pro Display XDR.
Pro Display XDR is designed to support a variety professional media types and related production workflows. From the Presets menu, you can select from several built-in reference modes based on industry standards defining the optimal display characteristics and viewing conditions for each media type. For each mode, Pro Display XDR adjusts its color and brightness characteristics to match the requirements for that media type. To ensure consistency across your workflow, the number of options available in Display preferences changes or is limited, depending on the mode you select.
Note: Several of the reference modes are intended to be used in controlled viewing conditions typically found in professional content production environments. Using a mode in the incorrect viewing condition or with the wrong media type may produce unsatisfactory results.
To open this pane, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Displays, then click Display.
Option | Description | ||||||||||
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Resolution | The amount of detail your display shows. Select “Default for display” to automatically use the best resolution for the display, or select Scaled to manually choose between more text or more space on-screen. Option-click Scaled to choose a specific resolution and to change the display’s refresh rate. | ||||||||||
Show low resolution modes | Indicates which scaled resolution modes are low resolution. | ||||||||||
Brightness | Controls how light or dark your screen appears. Move the slider to the right to make the screen brighter or to the left to make it darker. For alternative ways to adjust brightness, see Change your Mac display’s brightness. | ||||||||||
Automatically adjust brightness | The display brightness and black level adjust automatically based on current ambient lighting conditions. | ||||||||||
Presets | Pro Display XDR (P3-1600 nits): Configures the display for general use in office and home environments. This mode is based on the wide color P3 color primaries used by Apple displays, automatically adjusts to varying lighting conditions, and includes Extreme Dynamic Range support up to 1600 nits (peak). Apple Display (P3-500 nits): Configures the display for general use in office and home environments. This mode is based on the wide color P3 color primaries, automatically adjusts to varying lighting conditions, and supports a brightness range of up to 500 nits, typical of Apple built-in displays. HDR Video (P3-ST 2084): Configures the display for use in 4K or ultra high-definition video production workflows up to 1000 nits (full-screen sustained) using the wide color P3 primaries and the high dynamic range SMPTE ST-2084 EOTF. This mode is for use in a controlled viewing environment set up per ITU-R BT.2100. HDTV Video (BT.709-BT.1886): Configures the display for use in high-definition video production workflows targeting the ITU-R BT.709 and BT.1886 recommendations. This mode is for use in a controlled viewing environment set up per ITU-R BT.2035. NTSC Video (BT.601 SMPTE-C): Configures the display for use in standard definition or archival video production workflows targeting the ITU-R BT.601 recommendation and SMPTE-C color primaries. This mode is for use in a controlled viewing environment set up per ITU-R BT.2035. PAL & SECAM Video (BT.601 EBU): Configures the display for use in standard definition or archival video production workflows targeting the ITU-R BT.601 recommendation and EBU Tech 3213 color primaries. This mode is for use in a controlled viewing environment set up per ITU-R BT.2035. Digital Cinema (P3-DCI): Configures the display for use in motion picture and post-production workflows using the P3 theatrical color space and digital cinema whitepoint. This mode is for use in a controlled viewing environment set up per SMPTE RP 431-2:2011. Digital Cinema (P3-D65): Configures the display for use in motion picture and post-production workflows using the P3 theatrical color space with the D65 whitepoint. This mode is for use in a controlled viewing environment set up per SMPTE RP 431-2:2011. Design & Print (P3-D50): Configures the display for use in graphic design, printing, and publishing workflows. This mode uses wide color P3 primaries with the D50 whitepoint typically used to evaluate the color of printed output. It is for use in a controlled viewing environment set up in accordance with ISO 3664:2009. Photography (P3-D65): Configures the display for use in typical digital photography workflows. This mode uses wide color P3 primaries with the D65 whitepoint typically used for screen-based viewing. It is for use in appropriately set up and controlled viewing environments. Internet & Web (sRGB): Configures the display for use in content creation workflows targeting the web or other internet-based usages. This mode uses the broadly supported sRGB (IEC 61966-2-1:1999) color space per the W3C CSS Color Module Level 3 recommendation. It is for use in appropriately set up and controlled viewing environments (64 lux is recommended). | ||||||||||
Customize | Allows you to create custom reference modes. See Create custom reference modes for Apple Pro Display XDR on Mac. | ||||||||||
Refresh Rate | How frequently your screen is redrawn. If frame accuracy is desired, select the refresh rate based on the frames per second (FPS) of the media you’re working with. See Resolution (above) for more information about how to change the display’s refresh rate. | ||||||||||
Gather Windows | Moves all open Displays preferences windows to the display where this button is. This button appears only if more than one display is connected to your Mac. | ||||||||||
True Tone | Automatically adjusts the colors on the display based on current ambient lighting conditions. | ||||||||||
Show displays in menu bar | Displays an icon in the menu bar that lets you switch between your most frequently used resolutions. | ||||||||||
AirPlay Display | Use AirPlay to wirelessly show what’s on your Mac on another display. For example, you can AirPlay to a TV or an iPad. | ||||||||||
Show mirroring options in the menu bar when available | Show devices available for AirPlay Mirroring in the menu bar. | ||||||||||
Detect Displays | Scans for all the displays connected to your Mac. Press and hold the Option key to make this button appear in the place of the Gather Windows button, then click Detect Displays if your Mac doesn’t recognize a display you just connected. |