# Can I adjust brightness on my Cinema display?



## jbaugh (Apr 14, 2005)

I have a 21 inch Apple Cinema display that I have had for over a year now.  I have never understood how to adjust the brightness.  I find the screen to be too bright for reading large amounts of text on white.  There is a touch sensitive button on the lower left of the monitor with a sun symbol on it.  When it is touched it lights up but nothing happens to the monitor.  What is this button supposed to do?  And how can I lower the screen brightness without having to go into the system preferences and changing the screen profile?
John


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## Robn Kester (Apr 14, 2005)

I read (in one of the ACD manuals) that if the Brightness button does not bring up the brightness controls that you should check these:

Did the display have a USB cable to connect to the Mac? Is it connected? Some features like the brightness controls require it. (Most likely has a DVI & USB connector)

Did you install the software that came with it? If not, or if you arent sure, do it again, JIC


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## Natobasso (Apr 14, 2005)

The button is supposed to bring up your monitor preferences but if yours isn't working you need to go to SYSTEM PREFS/DISPLAYS and adjust the Brightness slider.

Check the "Show displays in menu bar" so you can just click the monitor icon that will appear there and not have to open system prefs from the dock. It's a good shortcut.


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## jbaugh (Apr 14, 2005)

Natobasso,
Thank you for your reply.  I didn't even know what the button was supposed to do.  But it does not function as it is supposed to and never has.
Your suggestion still does not work, however. Currently my monitor is connected to my Powerbook in spanning mode.  But even if I switch to mirroring mode I am unable to adjust the brightness of the Cinema display.  Moving the slider always dims or brightens the PB screen but has no effect on the large monitor.
Any thoughts?
John


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## Qion (Apr 14, 2005)

Ask Apple


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## Natobasso (Apr 14, 2005)

I believe if you turn off mirroring and close the laptop, (click your mouse to make your computer wake up again) then you will be able to control just the monitor. If you have mirroring on the cinema display will display exactly what's shown on your laptop. If you have a 15" laptop connected to a 17" or 20" cinema display you will see a 15" sized viewing area on it.

So you're saying you can't access Monitors in System Prefs at all?

How old is the Powerbook? Do you have an adaptor between it and the cinema screen? Could your video card be having an issue?


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## Natobasso (Apr 14, 2005)

Here's an article on apple's website that might help you:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88064


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## jbaugh (Apr 14, 2005)

I have no problems accessing "Displays" under System Prefs.
I have my external monitor in spanning mode, not mirror mode.
The control window for displays shows a slider on it for the PB and this readily adjusts the brightness of the PB screen.
But whether I access the displays controls for the Cinema display with the PB closed or open, there is not slider on the control window for th Cinema display.
Give me 5 minutes and I will post some screen shots and a photo demonstrating what I am talking about.
John


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## jbaugh (Apr 14, 2005)

Picture of my Cinema display:
http://jbaugh.no-ip.com/~jbaugh/Display.jpg

Screen shot "Displays" in spanning mode:
http://jbaugh.no-ip.com/~jbaugh/PBopenSpanning.jpg

Screen shot "Displays" with PB closed:
http://jbaugh.no-ip.com/~jbaugh/PBclosed.jpg

You will see there is no brightness slider for the Cinema display.
John


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## Fritz Sommer (Jan 11, 2015)

jbaugh said:


> I have a 21 inch Apple Cinema display that I have had for over a year now.  I have never understood how to adjust the brightness.  I find the screen to be too bright for reading large amounts of text on white.  There is a touch sensitive button on the lower left of the monitor with a sun symbol on it.  When it is touched it lights up but nothing happens to the monitor.  What is this button supposed to do?  And how can I lower the screen brightness without having to go into the system preferences and changing the screen profile?
> John


In case someone still runs into this problem: You have to plug in also the USB cable coming from the ADC-DVI adaptor. If you do this the touch control on the monitor for brightness works


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