For digital signage, make content match the screen: 1920x1080 for a Full HD screen, 3840x2160 for a 4K screen, and rotated (1080x1920 or 2160x3840) for a portrait screen. Use 16:9 content on 16:9 screens, and choose a scaling mode (Fill, Fit, Stretch or Original) for any mismatch.
Should a digital signage screen be portrait or landscape?
Choose the orientation that suits the content and the space. Landscape suits video, dashboards, presentations and menus with wide tables. Portrait suits tall layouts such as directories, timetables, posters and vertical video, and it often fits narrow walls and corridors better. A TV is made in landscape, so a portrait screen is a TV that has been turned 90 degrees on its mount.
The screen needs to know how it is mounted. In Screenbird, orientation belongs to the screen and not to the playlist, because it is a property of the hardware. You open the screen's settings and choose Landscape, Rotate 90°, Rotate 180° or Rotate 270°, matching the way the screen is mounted. Content for that screen should then be made in the same orientation.
Which resolution: 1080p or 4K?
Full HD is 1920x1080 pixels and 4K (also called UHD) is 3840x2160 pixels. Both are 16:9 with square pixels, as set out in the ITU-R recommendations behind HDTV (BT.709) and ultra-high-definition television (BT.2020). The right choice is the native resolution of the screen, because content at that size needs no scaling.
- Choose Full HD for most signage. It is lighter to store, send and play, and it is the safer choice on small players.
- Choose 4K when the screen is 4K and sharp detail matters, for example photography, fine text on a large display or content viewed from close by.
- Match the screen. Screenbird recommends supplying content at the resolution and orientation of the screen it runs on.
Screenbird's designer lets you choose Full HD or 4K as the resolution and Landscape or Portrait as the orientation when you create a design. Pick 4K for 4K screens and Full HD for Full HD screens.
What do the common aspect ratios mean?
The aspect ratio is the width divided by the height. It tells you the shape of the screen, whatever its size.
| Aspect ratio | Typical pixel sizes | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| 16:9 | 1920x1080, 3840x2160 | The standard shape of HDTV and of most TVs and monitors |
| 9:16 | 1080x1920, 2160x3840 | The same screen turned to portrait; also the shape of vertical phone video |
| 4:3 | Varies | Older TVs and monitors and some tablets; slides in this shape show bars on a 16:9 screen |
| 21:9 (64:27) | Varies | Ultrawide monitors and some special displays |
| 32:9 | Varies | Super-ultrawide monitors |
LED boards and video walls can have any shape. Screenbird has pixel mapping for LED banners and video walls for these shapes.
What happens when content does not match the screen?
The player scales the picture according to a scaling setting. Screenbird has four modes: Fill, Fit, Stretch and Original. You set Scale per playlist or schedule, and each time you send a single item to a screen.
| Mode | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Fill | Fills the whole screen, so the edges of the picture can be cropped | A photo or video should cover the screen and losing the edges does not matter |
| Fit | Shows the whole picture, with bars if the shape does not match; the default for new playlists and schedules | Nothing may be cut off, such as text, logos and slides |
| Stretch | Stretches the picture to the screen, so the proportions change | Rarely; only for abstract backgrounds where distortion is not visible |
| Original | Shows the picture at its own size, without scaling | A graphic already made at exactly the screen's size |
The bars in Fit mode take the color you set as the screen's Background color, so they can match your brand.
Practical tips for resolution and orientation
- Look up the screen's resolution first. Check the manual or the settings menu of the TV or the player.
- Mount the screen, set its orientation, and only then create the content in the same orientation.
- Create designs at the screen's resolution and orientation. A design is rendered live by the player and scaled to the screen, so the canvas should have the screen's shape.
- Build slides in 16:9. In PowerPoint, choose Design, Slide Size, Widescreen. In Google Slides, choose File, Page setup, Widescreen 16:9. For a portrait screen use a custom 9:16 size. Screenbird's guide shows how to put a Google Slides deck on a TV once the deck has the right shape.
- Export video as MP4 with H.264 at 1920x1080, or 3840x2160 for a 4K screen. Screenbird advises exporting again as MP4 with H.264 at the resolution of your screen when a video is refused.
- Keep important text away from the edges. Fill can crop, and some TVs enlarge the picture slightly unless the picture-size setting is changed; check the TV's menu for an option that shows the picture as it is.
- Check the result on the real screen from the real viewing distance before you roll out.
Set it up with Screenbird
Screenbird's designer creates every design at the orientation and resolution you pick, and each of its more than 250 templates comes in a landscape and a portrait version. To show several shapes on one screen, split screen divides the display into zones. Screenbird has every feature in one plan, from EUR 12 per screen per month billed annually, with a 7-day free trial that needs a credit card.
What resolution should digital signage content be?
Use the resolution of the screen: 1920x1080 for a Full HD screen and 3840x2160 for a 4K screen. For a portrait screen, rotate those numbers to 1080x1920 or 2160x3840.
Is 4K worth it for digital signage?
Yes, when the screen is 4K and the content benefits from the detail, such as photography or fine text. Full HD is enough for many screens.
How do I use a TV in portrait mode?
Mount the TV on its side and set the screen's orientation in the signage software to match, for example Rotate 90° or Rotate 270° in Screenbird. Then create content in portrait, such as 1080x1920.
What is the difference between Fill and Fit?
Fill covers the whole screen and may crop the edges of the picture. Fit shows the whole picture and adds bars when the shape does not match. Screenbird uses Fit for new playlists and schedules.
Why are there black bars around my content?
The content has a different shape from the screen, and the scaling mode is Fit. Make the content in the screen's shape, change the scaling mode, or set a Background color so the bars match your design.
What aspect ratio is a TV?
Almost every current TV is 16:9. When a TV is mounted in portrait, it becomes 9:16.
Sources: Screenbird help: what size should my content be · Screenbird help: adjust screen settings (orientation, background color) · Screenbird designer · ITU-R BT.709: HDTV parameter values (1920x1080, 16:9) · ITU-R BT.2020: UHDTV parameter values (3840x2160, 16:9) · Wikipedia: Aspect ratio (image)