Whether it's your phone's wallpaper or your desktop PC's background, the good news is that your screen image can be used to minimize eye strain. Many people pick an image solely because they like it, and while that's a good thing, you also need to consider your eyes. Headaches and other issues can result from eye strain. Luckily, there are easy ways to pick the right image that will let your eyes rest more. So, let's move along to finding out what features you need to look for:
1. Pick an image that causes the eye to want to focus further away
You'll want to pick a landscape or something that draws the eye to want to look further away (almost behind the screen), not right in front of you. Here are some right and wrong examples:
2. More red tones; less blue tones
Red tones relax the eye and are also considered better for sleep purposes if looking at a screen late in the evening. It doesn't have to be a strong red: pink, orange, or similar hues will help.
This can be a little harder than you think to find, because images that tend to have plenty of visual appeal are blue-toned ones (e.g. the sky, the ocean etc). Many of the default wallpapers provided by most devices are heavy on the blue tones.
Search for visually appealing red tones like sunrise and sunset.
3. An uncluttered image
A simple and uncluttered background minimizes eye strain by making it easy for you to see your apps and icons at a glance. You may need to try out a few different candidates on your device to see how they do; it's not always as easy as you think to predict this just by looking at an image.
Putting it all together
If you'd like a good example of an image that fulfills all of the above criteria, take a look at the one below. You can get the high-resolution original for free at https://pixabay.com/en/landscape-winter-snow-ripe-1984964 on stock photo site Pixabay.
Conclusion
Your screen image can have a surprisingly big effect on your level of eye strain. We look at our devices every day, most of us for hours every day. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to decrease eye strain. Use the tips above to pick an image that you like, and that works to minimize eye strain.
