Coloured paper
About coloured paper
Some people find it difficult or distracting to read and write on bright white paper. The glare makes it difficult to follow the lines of text, and the lines themselves may appear to move. These are common difficulties associated with Visual Stress.
Handwriting and rate of reading can improve when using the correct colour of tinted paper.
Opticalm offers coloured paper notepads and recommends getting a full coloured page from a store near you to use for printed documents. For students, taking tests on coloured paper can be a solution to relaxing their visual environment.
How can coloured paper reduce Visual Stress?
Without proper help, the symptoms of Visual Stress can make it very hard to concentrate on the reading material and lead to eye strain, fatigue, headaches, nausea and sore eyes.
The right colour of paper can reduce Visual Stress by:
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calming the bright white of the page;
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reducing the contrast of black text against the white page; and
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altering the striped pattern created by text printed across the page.
With the right colour of paper, reading becomes faster and more accurate, tracking improves as fewer words or lines are skipped, and discomfort is reduced because the material is less stressful to look at.
Finding the right paper colour
A wide range of coloured copy paper and notepads can be found in office supply stores, craft stores and online. Some stores sell multi colour pastel packs, which are great for trying different colours when searching for one that might help.
Use coloured paper to make lists, print lines for making notepaper, or for printing off recipes or instructions. For students, taking written tests on the right coloured paper can help to reduce visual discomfort from the high contrast of black on white paper.
