How To Set Up Your Trading Screens

How To Set Up Your Trading Screens: A Practical Guide

Setting up your trading screens effectively is essential for clarity, speed, and decision-making—especially if you’re day trading, swing trading, or managing multiple positions.

✅ 1. Determine Your Trading Style

Different styles need different setups:

Day traders need fast, real-time data and quick access to execution tools.
Swing traders may prioritize technical charts and news.
Long-term investors may use fewer screens with broader data views.

✅ 2. Basic Trading Screen Setup (1–2 Monitors)

Primary Screen (or main window):

Live chart of the asset you’re trading (candlestick or line)
Add:
- Indicators (e.g., moving averages, RSI, MACD)
- Volume
- Support/resistance lines

Secondary View:

Order entry/execution panel
Watchlist of related or favorite assets
Level II (order book) or DOM (depth of market) for fast-paced markets
News feed (especially important for equities and forex)

✅ Multi-Screen Setup (3–6 Monitors)

Screen	Recommended Use
1	Main chart for the active trade
2	Multiple charts (different time frames or correlated assets)
3	Order entry panel and broker terminal
4	Watchlists and scanners (for trade ideas)
5	News feed (e.g., Benzinga, Bloomberg, or Twitter)
6	Performance tracking, journal, or macro dashboards

✅ 3. Use Multiple Time Frames

Display at least:

Short-term chart (1-min, 5-min for entries)
Medium-term (15-min, 1-hour for context)
Daily chart (for trend direction and support/resistance)

✅ 4. Customize for Efficiency

Use hotkeys to place/cancel orders.
Color-code charts by asset or time frame.
Keep your alerts visible (price levels, volume spikes).
Minimize clutter—only show what’s useful.

✅ 5. Recommended Tools/Platforms

TradingView (for charting)
Thinkorswim, Interactive Brokers, NinjaTrader (for execution + multi-screen setups)
MetaTrader (for forex/CFDs)
Benzinga Pro or Twitter/X (for news)