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 Positioning your monitor
You may find a range of monitor heights that allows your head to be balanced comfortably over your shoulders. |
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You will reduce eye strain and muscle fatigue in your neck, shoulders, and upper back by properly positioning your monitor and adjusting its angle.
Positioning the monitor
| Place the monitor directly in front of you (refer to the Papers and Books section). To determine a comfortable viewing distance, stretch your arm toward the monitor and notice the location of your knuckles. Place your monitor near that location. If needed, move the monitor closer or farther away, until you can clearly and comfortably see the displayed text (refer to the Eyes section). |
Adjusting the monitor height
| Your monitor position should allow your head to be balanced comfortably over your shoulders. It should not cause your neck to bend forward uncomfortably or backward to any degree. You may find it more comfortable to position the monitor so that the top line of text is just below your eye height. Your eyes should look slightly downward when viewing the middle of the screen. |
| Many computer designs allow you to place the monitor on top of the system unit. If this places the monitor too high, you may want to move the monitor to the desktop. On the other hand, if the monitor sits on your work surface and you feel any discomfort in your neck or upper back, the monitor may be too low. In that case, try using a block, book, or monitor stand to raise the monitor. |
Tilting the monitor
Tilt the monitor so that it faces your eyes. In general, the monitor screen and your face should be parallel to each other. To check for correct monitor tilt, have someone hold a small mirror in the center of the viewing area. When sitting in your normal work posture, you should be able to see your eyes in the mirror.
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Adjusting monitor height for bifocal, trifocal, and progressive addition lens users
| If you wear bifocals, trifocals, or progressive addition lenses, it's especially important to properly adjust your monitor height. Avoid tilting your head back to view the screen through the lower portion of your glasses; this could lead to muscle fatigue in you neck and back. Instead, try lowering your monitor. If that does not work, you may want to consider obtaining glasses that are specially made for computer use. |
 Wrong!
If you wear bifocals, trifocals, or progressive addition lenses, do not position your monitor so high that you have to tilt your head back to view the screen. |
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Eliminating glare and reflections on your monitor
| Take the time to eliminate glare and reflections. To control daylight, use blinds, shades, or drapes, or try other glare-reducing measures. Use indirect or reduced lighting to avoid bright spots on your display screen. |
| If glare is a problem, consider these actions: |
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Move your monitor to a place where glare and bright reflections are eliminated. |
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Turn off or reduce ceiling lights and use task lighting (one or more adjustable lamps) to illuminate your work. |
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If you cannot control the ceiling lights, try positioning your monitor between rows of lights instead of directly beneath a row of lights. |
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Attach a glare-reduction filter to your monitor. |
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Place a visor on your monitor. This device may be as simple as a piece of cardboard extending out over the monitor's top front edge. |
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Place a visor on your monitor. This device may be as simple as a piece of cardboard extending out over the monitor's top front edge. |
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Avoid tilting or swiveling your display in a way that leads to an uncomfortable head or upper back posture. |
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