To reduce screen glare, find the light source before changing the display. Check from your usual working position, adjust the window covering or lamp, and keep enough light for paper tasks. Then check the screen again with your normal work open. Turning the whole room dark is not the only option.
A reflection that appears every afternoon calls for a different adjustment from small text or a lamp shining into your eyes. This guide helps you tell those situations apart. For chair height, foot support and the wider arrangement, use our desk ergonomics checklist.
Start by naming what you actually see
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) distinguishes direct glare from reflected glare in its lighting survey guidance. Direct glare comes from a bright source in your field of view. Reflected glare reaches you after bouncing off a surface, such as the screen or a glossy desktop.
Sit where you normally work and look for a specific pattern:
- A recognizable window or lamp on the display: investigate a reflection.
- A bright window or exposed bulb beside or behind the display: investigate the light in your field of view.
- No obvious bright patch, but difficult-to-read content: check text size, contrast and lighting together instead of assuming that every readability problem is glare.
CCOHS suggests temporarily blocking the path of light from a suspected source to help identify it. For example, a piece of card held in the light path can show whether that source is involved. Do not cover a lamp or ventilation opening, and do not balance objects on equipment.
For your own notes, a useful description is specific: “The window reflection crosses the document after lunch.” That gives you something observable to recheck after an adjustment.
Deal with daylight before moving every desk item
OSHA's workstation environment guidance recommends arranging screens at right angles to windows and using blinds or drapes to manage incoming light. A window to the side is a useful starting point, although the actual reflection still needs checking. A bright window behind the screen can also create a difficult brightness contrast.
Try the available covering before committing to a room rearrangement. Adjust it enough to address the bright source, then check whether the work surface still has usable light. OSHA also recommends diffuse room lighting and positioning task lights so they do not reflect in the display.
If the desk needs to move, include the chair and controls in that decision. Do not solve a reflection by leaving the screen permanently off to one side of your working position. With two displays, check each one: our dual-monitor setup guide explains how to keep their positions related to your main task.
Give paper its own light
A printed page relies on light falling on it; a screen supplies its own light. CCOHS's office eye-discomfort guidance explains why one lighting arrangement can work for paper and poorly for a display. It recommends balancing those needs rather than treating more light as automatically better.
If you read paper beside the computer, position an adjustable task lamp to illuminate that area without directing light at the screen or into your eyes. Check the page for both shadows and bright reflections. Keep the room usable for the rest of the task, too.
Test with the actual material you use. A blank notebook, a shiny printed sheet and a document inside a plastic sleeve are different surfaces. An attractive photograph of a desk cannot establish that its lighting will suit your work. The illustrations here show situations to consider, not measured lighting designs.
Use display adjustments after checking the light
The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) includes readable text, adjustable brightness and contrast, and freedom from glare in its display-screen workstation checklist. Open a typical document at your normal position and make the text comfortable to read. Check that you are not leaning forward simply to decipher it.
A brighter display may make content easier to see, but it does not identify or remove the source of a reflection. Likewise, a setting that works in morning daylight is not automatically the right setting after sunset.
Before buying an anti-glare filter, work through the placement and lighting checks. HSE treats filters as a last resort when those adjustments do not resolve the problem, alongside specialist help. CCOHS also notes that a filter can affect image quality. If you try one, assess readability as well as whether the reflection looks less noticeable.
Recheck with a real task, at the time the problem occurs
Use a short, ordinary piece of work as your comparison: the same document, the same seat and the same paper task if one is involved. Change one adjustable element, then repeat that task. This is a practical troubleshooting method, not a clinical test or a guarantee of comfort.
A simple three-line record can help:
- Before: where was the bright patch, and when did it appear?
- Change: which blind, lamp position or display setting did you adjust?
- After: is the text clearer, and is the paper still easy to read?
Keep the change only if it helps the work you need to do. If afternoon daylight was the issue, revisit the setup that afternoon rather than declaring the problem solved during a cloudy morning. At a shared desk, leave a clear note about any faulty blind or lamp that needs attention.
Know when the setup needs more help
If lighting cannot be adjusted, a covering is broken, or discomfort continues, raise the issue through your workplace's assessment process. HSE's workstation assessment guidance considers the equipment, environment, tasks and individual requirements together. A self-check does not replace that assessment or qualified advice about persistent symptoms.
Better lighting also does not remove the need to vary screen work. Our guide to breaks between video meetings addresses that separate scheduling challenge. ThermoLuma's after-desk comfort routine is an optional wind-down after work; it cannot fix workplace glare.
Frequently asked questions
Should I close the blinds completely?
Not automatically. Try the adjustment that controls the troublesome source while leaving useful light for the task. Check both the display and any paper you need to read.
Will dark mode remove reflections?
Changing the interface does not remove the light source. HSE notes that dark characters on a light background can be less prone to glare and reflections. Compare settings with your actual content and lighting rather than assuming one mode suits every situation.
Do I need to buy a new monitor?
A visible reflection alone does not establish that you need another display. Identify its source and test the available adjustments first. If the setup still does not meet your needs, use an assessment to decide what equipment change is justified.