Windows 7 Assistive Tool
Use Magnifier to enlarge portions of your computer screen
What is Magnifier?
Windows Ease of Access Center includes a feature called Magnifier that allows the user to enlarge an area of their screen to make it easier to view images or text. The user can increase the magnification level up to 16 times the original image and can utilize the feature with their mouse, keyboard or text editing.
So, how do you find the magnifier?
Go to the Ease of Access Center on your PC by selecting the Windows logo key +U.
When this box appears, click on the Start Magnifier tab to engage the feature.
What can the Magnifier do?
The magnifier allows you to enlarge the entire screen, a portion of the screen by using the lens mode or the docked mode that magnifies the area around your cursor. The user can also change the zoom level and set the lens size. You can also set the zoom increment and there is a color inversion feature for better screen quality. This is how the magnifier looks when you use the lens mode:
How can educators use this feature in their classrooms?
There are several ways that educators can use this feature:
- To aid visually impaired students
- To magnify important visuals during a presentation
- To allow all students to see the information on the screen when sharing computers
- To magnify information highlights when creating screen casts
Windows7 Accessibility Tools retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows7/
YouTube Video Published on January 6, 2009 Windows 7 Magnifier: Better living through technology retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://youtu.be/IleJMROpmvs