6 Best Monitors For Reading Documents, Text & Blueprints

Benefits of Getting the Right Reading Monitor

First off, let’s talk about why choosing the right monitor for reading documents is so important. Here are the main reasons that buying a good reading monitor is a worthwhile investment:

Monitors For Reading Compared

Buying Considerations For the Right Monitor for Reading

Alright, before we jump into our list of the best monitors for reading, you need to know what to look for. Here are the main factors to consider when you weigh up your options.

Monitor Panel Type

Different monitors use different types of panel technologies to display information on the screen. There are four main types of monitor panels worth knowing about: TN (twisted nematic) panels, IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels, VA (Vertical Alignment) panels, OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels, and E Ink panels.

All of the above panel technologies other than OLED panels are types of LCD panels. LCD monitors tend to be much more common and widely available than OLED.

That all probably sounds like a lot of jargon, but don’t worry. You don’t need to understand all the technical differences between the different panel types - you just need to know which is best for your needs.

And for reading, IPS or E-Ink panels represent the best choice.

E Ink is a relatively new and uncommon panel technology that reflects the ambient light in the room and looks a lot like real paper. It looks great, but it’s not widely available on desktop monitors just yet, so IPS is probably going to be the way to go.

For more information on the different panel technologies, see our ‘Types of Monitor’ section towards the bottom of this guide.

Related: IPS Vs LED Monitors: Key Differences

Screen Size

When it comes to screen sizes, bigger is usually better. Ideally, you’re going to want to buy the biggest monitor that makes sense after considering your available desk space and budget. A bigger screen will be easier to read off without straining your eyes.

Monitor screen sizes vary and can be anything from 20" to 40" in size. The most common size comparison is between 24" and 27"; I’d recommend 27” if you can afford it and have space for it.

You should also think about the aspect ratio of your screen (how wide it is). A standard widescreen monitor has a 16:9 aspect ratio, but there are also ultrawide (21:9) and even super ultrawide (32:9) screens available.

The advantage of using a screen with a wider aspect ratio is that you can have more tabs or programs open and visible side-by-side at once. This can be very useful in certain circumstances. Writers, for example, can use one half of the screen for research and read their notes from, and the other half to write.

Resolution

The resolution tells you the number of horizontal and vertical pixels that can be displayed on the monitor screen. The higher the resolution, the sharper the image.

The most common resolution is 1920 x 1080p (Full HD). This is usually good enough for reading, but higher resolutions that provide even more clarity are also available if you can afford them.

You should also think about the screen size when you’re looking at the resolution as this will affect the number of pixels per inch (PPI). The larger the screen, the higher the resolution you'll want to see to ensure the image stays sharp.

For monitors that are over 27" in screen size, I'd recommend a monitor with at least 2560x1440p or 4k (3840 x 2160p) resolution if you can afford it. Anything more than 4K is probably overkill.

Response Time

The response time of a monitor tells you how long it takes to shift from one color to another. It’s usually given in milliseconds (ms). Lower numbers are better here as higher response times tend to mean more motion blur. Typical response times range from 1 to 10 ms.

It’s not a huge deal for reading as you’re unlikely to notice a higher response time, but I’d still recommend aiming for as low a response time as possible. If you plan on using your monitor for gaming as well as reading, low response time is much more important as every millisecond makes a difference.

Brightness

Nobody likes having to squint to make out the text on the screen because it’s too dark. That’s why it’s also important to think about brightness. Each monitor should provide a brightness rating measured in candela per square meter (cd/m2). The larger the number, the brighter the screen.

I’d recommend shooting for a monitor with as much maximum brightness as you can get (ideally 250cd/m2 or above). If you’re reading outdoors or in a well-lit room, that extra brightness will come in handy.

Yes, there is such a thing as too much brightness, but you can dim the brightness later by adjusting it on the monitor as needed, so a higher maximum brightness is always a good thing.

Anti-Eye Strain Features

Reducing eye strain is probably the main reason you want a good monitor for reading, so anti-eye strain features are essential. Look out for features that help to minimize eye fatigue, such as:

Additional Features

Other important features you might want to think about include speakers (do you want to play audio out of your monitor while you’re reading?), USB hubs (how will you connect your monitor to your desktop/laptop?), integrated support features (does the monitor support picture-in-picture display?), and more.

Make sure you consider all of your needs and choose something that fits the bill.

Price & Warranty

And finally, think about the price. You're aiming for the best possible value for money, so set a budget and weigh all the options. Expect to pay at least $100 for a passable monitor, $150-$300 for a solid mid-range option, and $300+ at the higher end of the market. Most monitors will come with some warranty cover, so factor that into your decision too.

1. BenQ GW2480

Our Top Pick!

Our top pick for the overall best monitor for reading goes to the BenQ GW2480. This slick, stylish monitor has everything a frequent reader could want, including an IPS (that’s the good one, remember?) display with accurate color technology, expansive viewing angles, plenty of screen space, and lots of integrated eye-care tech.

For example, BenQ’s ‘Intelligence Adaptive’ technology will automatically adjust the brightness for you to ensure comfortable viewing, while the low blue light filter and zero-flicker screen will help to prevent eye strain and headaches.

The design itself is very sleek. It boasts an ultra-slim bezel, which, aside from looking awesome, extends your visible screen space to help with multi-panel configurations. The space-saving base is also great for a small home office set up.

It also comes with built-in speakers that are as good as you could expect from a monitor; no worse than the speakers you’d find on most laptops or PC monitors, but obviously still not as good as dedicated external speakers or a good pair of headphones.

At under $150, it’s a steal. Considering the specs, I’d have expected the price to be higher. I guess the great value might have something to do with brand recognition - BenQ isn’t quite as well known in the US as other leading brands, so you’re not paying for the name.

2. Dell S Series S3219D

Best monitor for reading pDFs

Next up, we have the Dell S Series S3219D, one of the very best monitors for reading PDFs. The screen on this thing is huge. At 32-inches, it’s the biggest monitor on this list with the most visible viewing space. All that extra space makes it ideal for viewing PDFs with small text, and you should easily be able to open several windows and fit them side-by-side.

It boasts a QHD (QuadHD) 2560 x 1440 resolution, which is somewhere between 1080p and 4k - right in the sweet spot. However, remember that most HDMIs don't support 2560x1440p, so you might be limited to 1080p if that's what you're using.

It also has Dell’s ComfortView technology, which filters out harmful blue light and optimizes the screen settings for eye comfort. The flicker-free, low-haze screen does a great job of eliminating headaches and eye fatigue. It's also wall-mountable, which is useful if you’re working with limited office space.

Surprisingly, the in-built speakers are actually pretty good too, which is unusual for a monitor. The main downside is that it uses a wide-angle VA panel, not IPS, which I’d have preferred. Overall, though, it’s a great monitor. You’ll struggle to find a screen this big with as good a feature set for a similar price.

3. ASUS Designo MZ279HL 

Best 27 Inch monitor for reading documents

Moving onto the Designo M7279HL from Asus. This is our top pick for the best 27-inch monitor for reading documents; Asus has done a really great job of designing an excellent all-around monitor here.

Let’s start by talking about ergonomics. One of the most important factors in a reading monitor is adjustability, and this monitor has that in abundance. The monitor can be adjusted in height (0-100mm), tilt, and swivel, which allows you to position it perfectly to reduce eye strain (see our monitor positioning guide at the bottom of this article for how to do that).

The screen itself looks great, with ultra-thin bezels, excellent wide viewing angles, and a full HD 1080p resolution. ASUS’ integrated Eye Care technology ensures flick-free backlighting and filters out blue light to minimize eye fatigue.

The refresh rate, at 75Hz, is pretty good and ensures silky smooth visuals, which makes it great for both reading and gaming. It also has dual HDMI and VGA ports, so you don't have to worry about connectivity and can hook it up to multiple devices.

Again, the look of the whole monitor is very nice. It has a frameless, space-saving design and measures just 7mm at the thinnest point. It’ll look great in any home office.

4. Philips 276E8VJSB

Best monitor for reading blueprints

The Philips 276E8VJSB is our pick for the best monitor for reading blueprints. It’s perfect for engineers, architects, and CAD technicians.

This has the highest resolution we've seen so far at 3840x2160, which ensures crystal clear images and stunning visuals even at larger screen sizes.  It's one of the best 4k reading monitors you'll find.

We’re recommending the 27-inch model, but it’s also available in larger screen sizes, going all the way up to 34-inch ultrawide. If visible screen space is important to you, the ultrawide version is a reliable option. The bezels are super thin and almost unnoticeable, and you can also choose your own display panel. Options include flat IPS, curved IPS, flat VA, and curved VA.

The curved screens are a nice way to save desk space while maximizing visible screen space but, if you’re not sure, I’d recommend sticking with the flat IPS.

Where the Philips 276E8VJSB stands out is when it comes to color clarity. The display supports over a billion colors and delivers rich, vivid, life-like color reproduction. If you work in the design industry, this is probably going to be a huge plus.

My only complaint is the lack of VESA compatibility, which makes it tough to mount. Bear this in mind if you’re getting a larger screen and have limited desk space.

5. Acer KB272HL

Best computer monitor for reading text documents

Next up, we have the Acer KB272HL, another strong contender for the best computer monitor for reading text. It has a 27-inch VA widescreen display, 1080p resolution, good color accuracy, maximum brightness, and nice viewing angles.

What makes it special, though, is Acer's integrated VisionCare technology. It’s one of the best examples of monitor eye-care I’ve come across and consists of four separate Acer technologies: Low Dimming, ComfyView, BlueLightShield, and Flicker-less display.

Acer Low Dimming automatically adjusts the brightness settings to 15%-brightness when you’re in darker environments, like when you’re reading at night, in order to reduce eye strain.

ComfyView helps to limit the reflections from ambient light sources to reduce glare, while BlueLightShield protects you from long-term eye damage by adjusting the color hue and brightness.

Another stand-out feature is Acer eColor Management, which makes it quick and easy to adjust the display settings. This is great if you’re fussy about your display as you can tune the brightness, contrast, and color settings to better match your environment and improve your reading experience.

Aside from reading, it's also useful for gaming thanks to the excellent refresh rate and AMD Radeon FreeSync technology, which syncs the monitors’ frames with your graphics card to do away with stuttering and tearing.

6. Electric Magic E Ink Monitor

Smallest monitor for reading documents

And finally, we have the Magic E Ink Monitor, a top of the range screen that’s great for anyone that primarily reads text-only documents.

What makes this monitor special is the E Ink display panel, which creates a ‘paperlike’ ink screen similar to e-readers like the Amazon Kindle. It’s one of the few monitors on the market that use E Ink technology, and the only one featured on this list.

At just 13.3 inches, it's also our smallest monitor for reading documents. The screen really isn't big enough to work with blueprints, and the screen doesn't display colors, so it isn't well-suited to things like CAD and design work. However, if you're mainly planning to read or write text, this is the way to go.

I often use an E Ink monitor when writing as I tend to suffer from screen-headaches, and this eliminates that problem. I can easily sit in front of it for hours without any pain or sore eyes.

Obviously, the biggest drawback is having to work in a black and white environment, but it’s manageable. Things like browsing the internet, reading, and writing are fine. You can even watch videos and view images well enough, just expect a little detail/clarity to be lost in darker images.

An added bonus is that it doesn’t use a whole lot of power, so you can hook it up to your laptop and turn your main screen without having to worry about it draining the battery.

The main downsides are the slow refresh rate and ‘ghosting,' which can be distracting. It also has an odd resolution (2200x1650) and aspect ratio, which might seem a little unusual to work with if you're used to standard 16:9 displays. But, all that aside, it's still a fantastic product.

Types of Monitors

Monitors can be subcategorized based on the type of panel technology they use. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the main panel technologies.

TN (Twisted Nematic)

TN stands for Twisted Nematic panels. This is the most common panel type used in modern monitors, and also the most affordable. The advantages of Twisted Nematic panels are their fast response times, higher refresh rates, and minimal input lag, all of which makes them ideal for gamers.

However, they also tend to have poor viewing angles, bad color contrast, and generally lower image quality. As such, they’re less suitable for reading.

IPS (In Plane Switching)

IPS panels offer the overall best image quality. Compared to other types of panels, they tend to provide improved contrast and brightness, more accurate colors, and wider viewing angles.

The tradeoff for that image quality is that they also tend to be more expensive and have higher input lag than other types of monitors.

VA (Vertical Alignment)

Vertical Alignment panels are like a compromise between IPS and TN panels. They typically have better color contrast and viewing angles than TN panels (though not quite as good as IPS panels) but also higher refresh rates and more brightness than IPS panels.

That being said, they’re also known for a few problems, like color distortion and contrast loss when viewed from off-angle, as well as ‘blurring’ caused by higher response times when gaming. They’re not super common either with fewer VA panel monitors on the market than other types.

E Ink

E Ink displays are the only panel type designed specifically for reading. As such, they’re probably the best panel type for reducing eye fatigue, with superb contrast ratios and viewing angles.

They use 'electronic paper display technology,' which is designed to make your screen look like real paper. It provides higher contrast and visibility while consuming less power than other types of displays.

However, E Ink displays are only available in black and white. This isn’t a problem if you only ever plan on reading text, but if you need to see color images, blueprints, or diagrams, it’s not going to be suitable. There are also only a few manufacturers currently providing E Ink computer monitors, and they tend to be fairly pricey. 

Ergonomics: Monitor Positioning for Reading Comfort

It's not just about the monitor you use; it's also about how you use it. You want to be as comfortable as possible while you’re reading from your monitor, right?

If so, you need to get your ergonomics right. That means positioning your screen in such a way as to help you to maintain neutral posture and so that you can read effortlessly for hours without squinting, leaning forward, or shuffling around in your seat.

With that in mind, here’s how to properly position your monitor for better ergonomics.

Cleaning, Maintenance & Troubleshooting

It’s important to look after your monitor if you want to keep it in tip-top condition. Here are some tips on how to properly clean and take care of your monitor:

People Also Ask (FAQs)

Which type of monitor is best for the eyes?

Flicker-free IPS monitors with eye care technology like blue light filters are the best for the eyes. E Ink monitors are another good option, though not widely available.

Is 4K monitor good for the eyes?

Usually, a higher resolution like 4K is better for the eyes as the sharper image means you’re less likely to have to strain your eyes to make out finer details. Getting a 4k curved monitor might be the right choice if you have bad eyesight.

Are bigger screens better?

Yes, bigger screens are better for readings as you can fit more text/images on the screen and make them larger.

How far should my eyes be from the monitor?

Your eyes should be around 20 inches (51cm) away from the monitor screen.

What types of work requires reading in front of monitors?

Editors, writers, proofreaders, engineers, designers, architects, and many other job roles all involve lots of reading from monitors.

Conclusion

That concludes our guide to the best monitors for reading text, documents, and blueprints. Hopefully, this has given you all the information you need to find the right screen for your needs.

If you’re still deciding which one to choose, I’d say go for the BenQ GW2480. It’s probably the overall best choice for reading, all things considered, and won’t let you down.