Proper Orientation

Using a computer all day can be very hard on your vision. The placement of your monitor also has an effect on your posture. But by making sure your monitor is situated just so and is in otherwise good working order, you can make the experience of working at your computer just a little bit kinder on your eyes and spine. Here are some tips:

*It should be possible to adjust the level of brightness and contrast between the text and its background.

*Your screen should be free of glare, reflections, and there should be no screen flicker.

*You should be able to tilt and rotate your monitor with ease.

*You want the top line of text to be just below your eye level, at about 15 degrees.

*Characters should be legible, in the appropriate size, and there should be good color and quality.

*No more than six colors should be displayed at any one time.

*Sometimes monitor arms or raisers are deemed useful for giving you best screen placement.

Better Flexibility

*Certain monitor arms give you better flexibility in determining the height of your monitor. This can be an important consideration in the case where a workstation has multiple users.

*Monitor arms tend to take up less of your precious desk space than desktop stands, though sometimes these stands have the added benefit of being height-adjustable.

*If your monitor is very large, you may need to pull the desk away from the wall to ensure you achieve a comfortable distance for viewing.  

*For a short-term solution for adjusting the height of your monitor, you may want to resort to good old-fashioned phone books. Just make sure you won't need to use them soon after placing the monitor atop them.

*It may be possible to eliminate glare from your working environment by adding blinds or curtains to the office windows.

Screen Filters

*You can purchase anti-glare screen filters made of glass, plastic, or mesh, but make sure the fit is perfect.

*It's important to clean your screen often if you want to keep it in tiptop shape for a long time.

*Of no lesser importance is the position of your source material. Your source material should not lay flat on your desk or to the far side of your monitor. Trying to read your document at these angles will require you to bend and twist your neck, forcing you into sustaining neck muscle tension during long periods of work.