Increase Font Size in Adobe Bridge on a High Resolution 4k Graphics Card and Monitor So It Is Not Too Small to Read Text

5 Parts:

Turn on Manifest File Support in Windows 10

Create the Manifest File

Tips

Questions and Answers

Comments

You would think a large company like Adobe would be on the ball and have upgraded all their apps to handle 4k monitors on Windows 10, however you would be dead wrong. Adobe is a very large company now, and believes wrongly or rightly that you cannot use any other product for graphics design. I have included screen-by-screen steps to clearly show you how to configure Adobe Bridge to use a reasonable font size. The real problem is that on High DPI Displays are not supported properly in Adobe Bridge. To fix this problem you will need to turn DPI support off for Bridge in an external configuration file called a "Manifest File". Before Windows can use an external manifest file, you need to manually edit your registry to turn it on. If you don't want to edit your registry, this wiki is not for you, but unfortunately, as far as I know, there is no other way to solve the problem of tiny unreadable text in Adobe Bridge.

1. 1
   From your start menu search area type "regedit" and press enter.

   

   

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2. 2
   To give RegEdit permission to make changes to your PC, click "Yes".

   

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3. 3
   Your registry editor should look like this.

   

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4. 4
   Navigate through the folders to

   :

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > SideBySide

   

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5. 5
   Create a new DWORD value

   .

   Right click on the blank area anywhere in the right panel. Click on "DWORD (32-bit) Value" and then choose "New"

   

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6. 6
   Rename the new DWORD to "PreferExternalManifest"

   

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7. 7
   Click on the new DWORD

   .

   

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8. 8
   Change the value to "1" Decimal

   .

   

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1. 1
   Browse to your Adobe Bridge folder

   .

   

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2. 2
   Create a new text document

   .

   Right mouse click on your desktop and choose "Text Document" > New

   

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3. 3
   Name the new file "bridge.exe.txt" for now.

   

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4. 4
   Cut and Paste the following code into the file and save it

   .

   For formatting reasons you will find the code section at the end of these steps.

   

   Here are the contents of bridge.exe.txt to cut and paste in:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
   
   <assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
   
   <dependency>
     <dependentAssembly>
       <assemblyIdentity
         type="win32"
         name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
         version="6.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="*"
         publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
         language="*">
       </assemblyIdentity>
     </dependentAssembly>
   </dependency>
   
   <dependency>
     <dependentAssembly>
       <assemblyIdentity
         type="win32"
         name="Microsoft.VC90.CRT"
         version="9.0.21022.8"
         processorArchitecture="amd64"
         publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b">
       </assemblyIdentity>
     </dependentAssembly>
   </dependency>
   
   <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
     <security>
       <requestedPrivileges>
         <requestedExecutionLevel
           level="asInvoker"
           uiAccess="false"/>
       </requestedPrivileges>
     </security>
   </trustInfo>
   
   <asmv3:application>
     <asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="bridge.exe.txt
       <ms_windowsSettings:dpiAware xmlns:ms_windowsSettings="bridge.exe.txt
     </asmv3:windowsSettings>
   </asmv3:application>
   
   </assembly>
   

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5. 5
   Browse to your Adobe folder where bridge.exe is residing

   .

   Then move the new file you created into your Adobe folder. You will need to authorize the move as an administrator.

   

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6. 6
   Rename the file to "bridge.exe.manifest"

   

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7. 7
   Authorize the name change

   .

   

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8. 8
   Now launch bridge.exe and if you have done everything properly, the text should be much easier to read

   .

   If not, check your steps carefully. If the filename is not correct it will not work.

   

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• Since you are turning scaling mode on, depending on your card resolution vs the scaling factor, you may notice a slight blurry presentation.

Bridge CC-Increasing font size.

I am following your instructions on how to increase fonts in Bridge CC. I am having trouble with the cutting and pasting. I copy your posting but it will not allow me to paste in the new folder I created. I also have it on notepad and attempt to copy and paste - with no success! Where do you think I'm going wrong? Thanks

VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.

Problem with your instructions on Font size in bridge.

I successfully followed all your steps until I had to copy/paste the contents of bridge.exe.txt. It does not allow that to happen. What am I doing wrong?

VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.

I can change the value from 0 to 1, but can not change the DWORD base from hex to decimal.

Can you offer any suggestions?

VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.

Tried several times to fix font size problem. Problem with manifest file?

I was getting the side-by-side error that others have discussed. Went to the application event log and found: "Application Event says there is a syntax error on line 39 of the manifest file. Trying to download again." File looks right. Went through process several times. Finally looked at Application Event file and it is saying there is a syntax error on line 39.

Paragraph around line 39 as pasted from above: <asmv3:application>

 <asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="bridge.exe.txt
   <ms_windowsSettings:dpiAware xmlns:ms_windowsSettings="bridge.exe.txt
 </asmv3:windowsSettings>

</asmv3:application>

Not sure what the "bridge.exe.txt is supposed to be doing as that file had it's name changed...

Found this paragraph on another site and it worked: <asmv3:application>

 <asmv3:windowsSettings xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">
   <ms_windowsSettings:dpiAware xmlns:ms_windowsSettings="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">false</ms_windowsSettings:dpiAware>
 </asmv3:windowsSettings>

</asmv3:application>

Followed all instructions to make font larger in Bridge - still no luck - even tried to change the text folder as another user suggested.

Even tried to change the text folder as other user suggested. I have tried: Your regedit hack with external manifest file. I think it was caused by: The code and Adobe sucks

VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer. Side by side error here too with CS6. Seemed to do everything right. Used 64bit, then tried 32 bit. Same result. Also tried the suggested "fixes" in the comments. Can't launch. Had to go back to the original registry to get it back but alas with the tiny font. Is this fix only for the CC versions? It's getting to the point where I may just have to buy some "old" monitors. Running windows 10 pro. Was fine until I upgraded my monitors.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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