---
title: Aspect Ratio
description: Aspect ratio is the proportion of a screen's width to its height, such as 16:9 for landscape or 9:16 for portrait signage.
type: glossary
term: Aspect ratio
category: display
shortDefinition: Aspect ratio is the proportion of a screen's width to its height. Most signage uses 16:9 in landscape or 9:16 when the screen is mounted in portrait. Content made for one ratio is cropped or letterboxed on the other.
seeAlso:
  - Portrait mode
  - 4K UHD
  - Multi-zone layout
visual: rotate
inLoopvew:
  text: Loopvew players run in landscape or portrait, including rotated displays.
  label: Set up a portrait screen
  href: /how-to/set-up-a-portrait-screen
---

Designing for the wrong aspect ratio is one of the most common reasons signage looks unprofessional: stretched logos, black bars, or text cut off at the edges.

## Why it matters

| Ratio | Resolution example | Common use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 16:9 | 1920 × 1080, 3840 × 2160 | Most TVs and landscape signage |
| 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | Portrait menu boards, totems, wayfinding |
| 32:9 and wider | 3840 × 1080 | Stretched displays, shelf edges, video walls |

Decide the orientation before you design content, and export at the screen's native resolution so nothing is scaled.