> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.monarchlinux.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.monarchlinux.com/everyday-tasks/displays.md).

# Displays

Arrange displays and configure persistent scale, brightness, and text size.

Open **Monarch Menu → Actions → Hardware → Displays** to use Monarch's display panel.

The panel can:

* adjust brightness for each supported display;
* change text size across Noctalia, GTK applications, and the terminal;
* set the scale of the focused display;
* enable or disable connected displays;
* open a visual arrangement tool for display placement.

The last active display cannot be disabled. Brightness control for an external monitor depends on that monitor supporting DDC/CI.

## Useful shortcuts

| Action                             | Shortcut                        |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Cycle scale on the focused display | **SUPER + CTRL + D**            |
| Cycle scale backwards              | **SUPER + CTRL + SHIFT + D**    |
| Toggle the laptop display          | **SUPER + CTRL + Delete**       |
| Toggle laptop-display mirroring    | **SUPER + CTRL + ALT + Delete** |

The same actions are available under **Monarch Menu → Actions → Hardware**.

## Command line

List the output names Niri sees:

```bash
monarch display list
```

Use those names with the display commands:

```bash
monarch display scale eDP-1 1.5
monarch display toggle HDMI-A-1 off
monarch display brightness --list
monarch display brightness eDP-1 60
monarch display text size 115
```

Reset the global text size to Monarch's default:

```bash
monarch display text size reset
```

Text size accepts 75–175 percent in five-percent steps. It changes Noctalia panels and bar, GTK text scaling, and the default terminal font together.

Scale and enabled-state changes are persisted in the generated `~/.config/niri/runtime.kdl`, so they survive configuration reloads and reboots. Do not edit that file directly; use the panel or the commands above.