Eye strain among web design/graphics people

experiMental

I would like to find out, whether most of you are experiencing eye strain. Since most of you may be frequent users of graphics packages, do you find them to be heavy for eyes? Do you get headache and pain at the end of your working day? I am asking you people specifically because I would like to do something about the nature of strenuous graphics editing work

I get a lot of eye strain from using Photoshop, illustrator and even typing code in notepad. I wonder how can professionals go for such a long time when they are using these packages. It's a well known fact that a lot of designers wear glasses, and it's understandable. However, I don't want to wear them at all, but enjoy creating interesting and engaging design work and use graphics packages.

Any of your insight, rants or preventative methods will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for your time,
Yuri.

Pablod

I had the exact same problem a few months ago when I started designing sites, spending hours upon day’s on web/graphic design etc... and it was a strain on my eyes clike yourself ausing headaches.

I never had glasses and never had issues with my eyesight
But I went for an eye test and it turned out I had a slight strain on one eye more than the other, so needed glasses (light prescription)

Only need them when on the PC (which can be between 10-12 hours some days)
But since wearing them, the strain is almost non-existent and headaches have almost gone.

Might be worth going for a quick eyetest
Hope this helps

lil_lisa

Another (maybe easier) trick to getting rid of those eye strains and headaches is to try not working on a white background. Like, in Word or Photoshop, try change the settings to a more beigey colour. It will put less tension on your eyes when concentrating, and if you're sitting there for 8 hours straight it does help.

That and turning down the brightness on your monitor.

tricky D

Gotta get in the habit of looking out the window every 30 minutes. If you're doing something instensely, get a countdown timer and set on 30 mins repeat.

p

Have you gotten your eyes tested lately, mayeb they've changed?

experiMental

I've got my eyes tested recently, and one eye performed worse than the other. The doctor said that it was still within the normal range, though, but almost borderline.

One question about computer glasses:
After taking computer glasses off, do you find it difficult to drive or adjust your eyes to normal conditions?

silurian1980

I get eye strain about once a week but I've had, what I call, tendonitis intermittently for the past 3/4 years! Always in my right hand, which I use to hold the mouse with.

It got very bad a couple of years back and I had to buy a wrist support and was on very strong pain killers as I could barely move my hand because of the very sharp pain on the under-side of the wrist.

That hasn't happened in a while but I always have a little bit of pain if I squeeze my right hand. Holding a pen in a particular way is also painful.

I now use a graphics tablet which did help initially but it still continues. Exercising the wrist helps but I don't know what can be done short of stopping working on a computer ... which ain't going to happen!

Anyone else get this in their wrists?

experiMental

I actually had the same problem with using the mouse - my wrist hurts when I use it for a very long time. The trick was, I used it with my right hand for a while and then my left hand. I also use a tablet when needed and a laptop scratchpad. By varying the types of input devices, I have reduced my pain.

However, eye strain still exists.

Placebo

in fairness you're asking for eye strain looking at notepad? white/black, silly font.

notepad++ and change your background to black/dark blue


i started to get eye infections now and then at some stage [lack of blinking] but i try take quick breaks now.

tricky D

experiMental wrote: »

I actually had the same problem with using the mouse - my wrist hurts when I use it for a very long time. The trick was, I used it with my right hand for a while and then my left hand. I also use a tablet when needed and a laptop scratchpad. By varying the types of input devices, I have reduced my pain.

Try one of these wrist support mouse pads.

OctavarIan

Placebo wrote: »

in fairness you're asking for eye strain looking at notepad? white/black, silly font.

notepad++ and change your background to black/dark blue


i started to get eye infections now and then at some stage [lack of blinking] but i try take quick breaks now.

This. A soft orange on dark blue or a dark brown on cream are like velvet for the eyes.

Some nice pre-made color themes in textmate format here:

http://wiki.macromates.com/Themes/UserSubmittedThemes

and the instructions for converting them to notepad++:
http://joyboner.com/60-free-textmate-notepad-styler-themes/

experiMental

Do you think that coding on an A1 sized whiteboard is a better solution than coding in front of a computer monitor? When you are using a whiteboard, you can move around a lot - it's a lot better than sitting constantly.

-=al=-

those mouse pads help and also these kind of mice... got it a few years ago and saved my wrists a lot, i do a lot fo recroding and editing, so i was playing guitar then editing a lot, going back and forth f'd my right wrist up for a year or 2

tendonitis is harder to get over than a broken bone, so ya dont wana be messing with that




as for the eyes, yea just use less contrasting colours/ brightness and take a few more breaks