The height and position of your monitor can change how you sit, how you hold your head, and how hard your eyes work. If you sit at work at the computer all day, you should make sure that you are at the correct distance from your monitor to reduce the risk of bad posture and to protect your eyes.
What is the correct distance?
Your preferred viewing distance depends on your field of view and the size of the monitor. Eye experts assume that a healthy, average person has a field of vision of 140 degrees. Research also shows that a person with perfect eyesight can see details up to 1/60 of a degree.
If these numbers are more or less accurate, then a quick calculation tells us that someone with ideal eyesight can see 8,400 "details," or as we simply call them, pixels. Since QHD or 1440p works at a width of 2560 pixels, people with less than ideal eyesight should be fine as long as the entire screen fits into their 140-degree field of view.
With all of that in mind, a 27-inch 1440p or QHD gaming monitor is best viewed from a distance of about 80 cm to three feet . If you sit too close, your field of view won't cover the entire screen. You have to keep moving your head to see details, which leads to signs of fatigue. If you sit too far away you will lose the benefit of QHD as your gaming monitor will look like 1080p first, then 720p and so on. Details will become blurred and the image quality will no longer be right.
If you choose a 32 "QHD monitor, the ideal distance increases a little from 80 cm to 96 cm, and the maximum to 1.3 meters, but generally speaking, you should keep at least 50 cm to your monitor - no matter how small it is.
| customs Service | 15 " | 17 " | 21 " | 24 " | 27 " | 32 " |
| Distance according to THX | 51 cm | 57 cm | 70 cm | 82 cm | 91 cm | 109 cm |
| Distance according to SMPTE | 60 cm | 70 cm | 85 cm | 100 cm | 112 cm | 130 cm |
| customs Service | 15 " | 17 " | 21 " | 24 " | 27 " | 32 " |
| Distance according to THX | 51 cm | 57 cm | 70 cm | 82 cm | 91 cm | 109 cm |
| Distance according to SMPTE | 60 cm | 70 cm | 85 cm | 100 cm | 112 cm | 130 cm |
The numbers in the table are based on recommendations from SMPTE, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Another authoritative source is the THX company, which certifies cinema halls. Their standards demand a similar ideal viewing distance of 90 cm to a 27 "1440p screen in order to ensure a pleasant gaming experience without any signs of fatigue.
There is broad consensus that human eyesight is best adjusted to a pixel density of 100-120 pixels per inch (PPI). With a lower pixel density, images look cluttered, smeared or lacking in detail. Extreme screen density makes everything appear tiny and cramped, as if too much has been squeezed onto the screen. Because of this, 4K works best on 32-inch monitors, while QHD shines on 27-inch monitors. Both form factors get an optimal pixel density..
Determine the distance to the monitor
You will get many different opinions about viewing distance between ophthalmologists and technology associations. You will need to find your ideal viewing distance yourself, although the numbers in the table above are a good guide. The aim is to avoid any kind of strain - for the eyes and neck. You don't want to tire your eyes by sitting too close and seeing pixel by pixel, nor should you injure your neck muscles by moving your head repeatedly from left to right to capture a screen. SMPTE has developed a formula for the recommended distance at the ideal viewing angle of 30 °: Screen diagonal (inches) / 0.6 = viewing distance (inches).
All that numerology aside, ultimately, through trial and error, you will find the best viewing distance for you. If you regularly have to bend over and blink to see details, you are sitting too far away. If you have to keep moving your head to one side to see details, you are sitting too close. If the entire screen fits more or less comfortably in your field of vision, the spacing is good.
Remember, however, that there is an absolute "too far", even for a 100-inch 8K screen. So use your common sense and listen to your eyes and body movements. If your eyesight isn't 20/20, you'll need to adjust the viewing distance to compensate - usually by sitting closer or buying a bigger screen.
Tips for adjusting the monitor
Of course, the correct distance from your monitor does not necessarily make a good sitting posture. You should also pay attention to the angle at which you look at your monitor. Here are a few tips to help you not only protect your eyes, but also your neck and back when working on the computer:
- Adjust the height of the monitor so that the top of the screen is at - or slightly below - eye level.
- Your eyes should look down slightly when looking at the center of the screen.
- Place the monitor at least 50 cm from your eyes - about an arm's length. If your screen is bigger, increase the viewing distance.
- Reduce glare by adjusting the position of the screen.
- Maintain the distance between your eyes and the screen by tilting the monitor 10 ° to 20 ° backwards.
- If you wear bifocal glasses, lower the monitor below eye level and rotate the screen up by tilting it backwards by 30 ° to 45 °.
- If you think that your monitor stand cannot give you the right position, buy a swiveling monitor arm that allows you much more adjustment.
