10 Best Ways to Improve Your Monitor, the Screen You Look at All Day
Many of us sit at our desk and computer all day, so the equipment we use is very important. Let’s think a little more about our monitors with these ten tips on how to get the most out of these screens.
10. Calibrate your monitor for the best image.
Even if you’re not a graphic design professional or video editor, color calibration ensures your screen displays consistent and accurate colors, which is important when adjusting photos and adjusting colors that just look “messy.” Here’s our guide to both basic and more advanced monitor calibration . You can also rent a colorimeter for a cheap price .
9. Play games at a higher resolution than your monitor can support.
If your monitor’s native resolution is incompatible with the games you want to play, you can trick your monitor into getting sharper images while playing games using a lesser known type of anti-aliasing. This has its drawbacks, but here’s the explanation .
8. Hide things behind the monitor.
If you have very limited space on your desk, or just want to keep it clean and free of clutter, use a monitor to hide everything close by . Almost anything can be installed behind the monitor , including a laptop, external hard drive, and cables.
7. Pairing the tablet with the monitor.
It’s not so much about using your main monitor as it’s about bringing some of those windows onto your tablet so you have more screen space. You can also do things that a non-touchscreen monitor can’t, like tapping to use a calculator. These apps connect your mobile device to the monitor. You can also use your Kindle as a second monitor .
6. Use your monitor for a photo background.
If you want to take more professional photos, your monitor can be the perfect backdrop . Just find a great background for your monitor and place your subject in front of it. If you use a green background , you can easily “green screen” your photos to remove the background (just like in movies!). In some way (not really) setting your desktop wallpaper to whatever is behind the monitors in your workspace as shown above will make your desk more spacious.
5. Adjust your monitor for easy reading.
Reading many articles and books on our computers is not very convenient or comfortable on the eyes, but we can make it even more convenient by using things like adjustable monitor stands, calibration specifically for reading, and using extensions that change the text on the screen. …
4. Use applications and shortcuts to control the monitor.
Your monitor’s built-in tools are fine for tweaking basic settings, but if you want even more control, apps and keyboard shortcuts can help. We’re big fans of F.lux and the G.lux Chrome extensions for automatically adjusting screen brightness and temperature (so blue light doesn’t interfere with our sleep ), as well as multi-monitor tools like DisplayFusion and Synergy that maximize our capabilities. installations with multiple monitors. If you want to quickly put your monitor to sleep, there is a shortcut for that, and there is also an app to lock the monitor .
3. Set up your monitor ergonomically.
Our desktop devices tend to be very unfriendly to our bodies, but the proper placement of our technology can mitigate some of the damage. When it comes to your monitor, you need to keep it at arm’s length and the top of the monitor at about eye level . Specialized computer glasses can also help prevent eye fatigue and other computer vision problems.
2. Make the most of multiple monitors
There’s a lot to be said for sticking to just one small monitor , but many of us love to use two, three, or many more monitors to get as much screen real estate as we can afford. Old but useful – How to get the most out of your dual monitors – and our latest guide to working with multiple monitors – How to set up triple monitors for widescreen gaming (and work) – should get you started. Windows users can also refer to these tips and tricks, or fix this annoying cursor dragging by adjusting the options .
If you want to decorate your screens with multiple multi monitor wallpapers, these are some of the best places to find them , a collection of ultra wide wallpapers and even more dual monitor and multi monitor wallpapers ( many).
1. Buy the best new monitor
Sometimes it’s best to simply upgrade your monitor or buy another to expand your digital workspace. So here’s how to shop wisely: First, learn the differences between different types of computer monitors . Consider if a 4K monitor is right for you (or a cheap 4K TV might replace your monitor ). Check out our monitor buying guide and check out the five most popular computer monitors on Lifehacker.