How do I adjust my monitor through the buttons on the front?

Unfortunately all monitors and flat panel displays are different, and there is no universal button system or set of instructions we could give you to configure your monitor using the buttons on the front. By far, the best method of determining what each of the buttons do, would be to consult your monitor owner's manual. If you've misplaced your monitor documentation, it can often be found by doing a search for the model name of the monitor.
For general reference, we've created the chart below to help illustrate what many of the buttons and icons associated with them do. Below is general information on the likely monitor controls on your monitor. Using these controls you can help improve the quality and layout of the picture on your monitor for better viewing. Please keep in mind that not all monitors will have all of the buttons below, and with many monitors you'll need to press a button to access a menu before seeing any of the below options.
If your monitor has no more than two buttons on the front of it it's likely configured through software and not with physical buttons

Power - Turns the monitor on / off.
Brightness - Using this button or wheel the user can increase and decrease the brightness on the screen.
Contrast - Using this button or wheel can increase and decrease the amount of contrast on the screen.
Horizontal Size - Allows for the picture on the screen to be stretched to the horizontal edge of the monitor.
Vertical Size - Allows the picture on the screen to be stretched to the vertical edges of the monitor.
Horizontal Position - Allows the picture to move moved horizontally, once in the center the user can then use the Horizontal size to stretch it to have an equal amount of black border on each side.
Vertical Position - Like the Horizontal Position, using this button or wheel the user can move the picture up or down to center the picture more appropriately.
Full Screen - Sets monitor to full screen
Degauss - This button will demagnetize the CRT, restoring possible color impurities. After this button has been pressed the degaussing circuit will be activated and then deactivated after a few seconds. Pressing and holding this button for a few seconds may cause your computer monitor to reset all data.
Corner / Trapezoid Correction - Using this button or wheel the user can either round the edges of the picture or move the picture inward like an hour glass or outwards.
Vertical Linearity - Sets the width of the vertical lines.
Moire - Removes or reduces the Moire effect, if any.
OSD Controls - If the monitor contains OSD controls, allows for the OSD menus to be adjusted.
Power Management - Allows the user to define the power management settings through the monitor itself and not the software.
Monitor Status - Displays the current monitor settings such as refresh rate and other settings.
Language - Sets the language on the monitor.