Don’t buy a new monitor

Everyone’s eyes are different, which is why, if you’re working with photos and other graphics, optimising your monitor to suit your own eyesight can pay dividends.

If small text looks unclear, adjust Windows’ Cleartype settings, which control how text appears on the screen. Open Start, type cleartype, then select ‘Adjust Cleartype text’. Make sure the box to turn on Cleartype is ticked on the first screen, then click Next. Windows will check that your monitor is set to its default resolution. When it has made any necessary adjustments, click Next, then select the sample of text which is the clearest on each of the following five screens (see screenshot).

Still having problems? Try adjusting the interface zoom setting. Highresolution screens may render text and other details, like links and buttons, too small for you to make out or accurately select. Windows can therefore zoom into the interface, which means that while it still uses every available pixel it behaves as though you have a lower-resolution display.

To do this, press Windows+i to open Settings, then click ‘Ease of Access’. Make sure Display is selected in the sidebar then select 100 per cent in the menu below ‘Change the size of apps and text on the main display’. If this doesn’t improve matters, select a different option in the same menu.

Scroll down to ‘Make everything brighter’ then adjust the screen illumination. Click the ‘Change the brightness automatically or use night light’ option and move the slider on the following screen to set the relative maximum brightness, which will dim as your surroundings grow darker.