Anti-Glare Screens and lighting

There are many anti glare screens on the market, the best-known probably being Kensington Screens, which are widely available online and in High Street stores. In addition to using a filter, ensure that other basic conditions are also met in order to minimise eye strain:

• Reduce glare from windows (and other light sources) by ensuring that your monitor screen is placed at a 90 degree to them.  Although screen glare is reduced if you directly face the light source (with the light source thereby behind the screen), the high contrast of light could result in eye strain.
• Close the curtains or blinds until  the sun is no longer shining directly through the window.
• If this is in your control, use wall paint with a non-reflective surface, and avoid using bright whites and other  highly reflective colours. If not, ask if you can have posters and /or a wall planner (in relaxing colours) on the wall behind you on either side of your workstation.
• Install light fixtures next to or parallel to the workstation. Do not have your light directly behind you.
• Rest the eyes regularly ; try and move away from your computer at least every hour. The  eye muscles are like any other muscle in that they can become strained and fatigued if they are not rested.
• Lighting : ensure that flourescent lights are fitted with the correct diffusers and comply to health and safety standards
•  Clip  the papers you are copying to your monitor or  use a copy stand, to keep your focus on the same plane. Repeatedly shifting from horizontal to vertical planes as you work increases eye fatigue, and also puts an increased load on the working memory. This is a particular problem for dyslexics, but can also be a contributory factor in causing VDU related workplace headaches.

Anti-glare screens such as the Kensington filters may increase comfort by reducing glare from reflections on the computer screen, but they do not reduce the visual problems related to the constant refocusing of your eyes when you work at a computer. Also  the reflective attributes of the white background are not removed by a propriety anti-glare screen, and will still result in visual stress symptoms being experienced by many users.  A  Crossbow monitor overlay in the right colour reduces both the reflective and the optical glare, minimising eyestrain and the symptoms of visual stress.

Where a propriety anti-glare screen, such as a Kensington filter, is preferred or already in use, the Virtual Coloured Overlay software used in conjunction with the anti-glare screen  will complete the user’s protection against eye strain.