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Position the lamp so its light falls on the paper or other task surface, while the bright bulb and its reflection stay out of your eyes and off the monitor. Make the final adjustment from your normal seated position, because the correct location depends on your desk, screen, lamp and task.

What good desk-lamp positioning is meant to solve

A desk lamp can make reading and writing easier, but a poorly placed one creates a new visual problem. There are three different symptoms to identify before moving anything:

Problem What you see or feel First adjustment to try
Direct glare The bulb or a bright part of the shade is visible in your normal field of view. Turn the lamp, lower its head, or use a shade so the source is outside your viewing field.
Reflected glare A bright patch, streak or mirror-like reflection appears on the monitor. Re-aim or move the lamp; then check the screen angle and workstation orientation.
Shadows Your hand, head or lamp blocks the light on the page or keyboard. Move the lamp to the opposite side or raise and re-aim it until the task surface is evenly lit.

Direct or reflected bright light can make a display harder to see and may contribute to eyestrain or fatigue. A shadow can make you lean forward or twist, so a position that looks bright from across the room is not necessarily comfortable at the desk.

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Start from your real working position

Lighting should be judged where work actually happens, not while standing beside the desk. A lamp can produce a concentrated pool of light, forcing your eyes to adapt between the bright pool and a darker monitor or room. WorkSafe Victoria identifies shadows, glare and reflections that lead to poor posture as problems to correct.

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  1. Place the monitor, keyboard, papers and chair where you normally use them.
  2. Sit in your usual posture and set the screen to its normal brightness and angle.
  3. Switch on the lamp at the brightness you actually intend to use.
  4. Look at the display from your seated position, then look at the page or other task surface.
  5. Move only one item at a time so you can tell whether the lamp, screen or room lighting caused the change.

Do not judge success by the brightest spot. The useful test is whether text remains easy to see, the page has enough light, and you can work without squinting, leaning or repeatedly changing posture.

Position the lamp step by step

1. Aim at the task, not at your face

Start with the head of the lamp directed toward the paper, notebook, keyboard or craft area that needs extra light. The beam should cover the task without pointing toward your eyes. If the lamp has a shade, keep the shade between your eyes and the bright source when you sit normally.

2. Keep the source out of the screen’s reflection path

Look directly at the monitor while seated. If you can see the lamp, bulb or a bright patch reflected in the panel, rotate or move the lamp until that reflection disappears. OSHA’s instruction is explicit: “Position task lighting (for example, a desk lamp) so the light does not reflect on the screen.”

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3. Check the page for hand and body shadows

Write, type or turn pages as you normally do. Watch for a dark band across the words or for your writing hand to block the beam. Move the lamp laterally, rather than simply increasing brightness. The best side is the one that leaves the active area clear during your actual task.

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4. Make small changes

Use short movements of the arm, head or base and reassess after each change. A few centimetres can change the reflection angle. If the lamp cannot illuminate the task without reflecting on the screen, adjust the monitor angle or move the workstation instead of forcing the lamp into an extreme position.

5. Recheck at every normal viewing angle

Check the screen while reading, typing and looking toward the paper. Reflections can appear only when your head moves or when a dark screen displays a bright image. Check the page both with the monitor on and with a blank or dark screen.

Orient the monitor and room lighting

The lamp is only one light source. OSHA recommends placing a screen at right angles to windows and other light sources, which reduces the chance that daylight will strike the display directly. Side daylight is generally easier to manage than light entering from directly behind you or directly in front of the screen.

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  • Turn the desk so windows and strong fixtures are to the side of the monitor where practical.
  • Use blinds, curtains or other window shading when changing the desk direction is not possible.
  • Do not place a bright window directly behind the display if it causes a high-contrast reflection around the screen.
  • Do not place a bright window directly behind you if it is reflected in the display.
  • Recheck the setup at different times of day; daylight direction and intensity change.

Arbetsmiljöverket notes that local lighting, such as a desk lamp, can help when an employee feels there is not enough light. That does not mean the lamp should make the monitor brighter than the surrounding area. Use it selectively for the paper or close-up task that needs help.

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Choose a side for different tasks

There is no evidence-based universal rule that the lamp must always be on the left or right. Use the side that keeps your hand and head from casting a shadow and keeps the source out of the screen’s reflection path.

Work pattern Useful starting position What to verify
Mostly reading or writing Place the lamp to one side and slightly forward of the page, aimed across the task surface. Your writing hand should not cover the words, and the shade should block the bulb from your eyes.
Mostly screen work Keep the beam on the keyboard or nearby notes rather than on the display. No bright patch appears on the monitor when you face it normally.
Screen plus paper notes Illuminate the notes from the side while leaving the monitor outside the beam’s reflection path. Text on both the page and screen remains readable without leaning toward either one.
Frequent handwriting with one dominant hand Start on the opposite side of the writing hand, then test the other side. There is no hand shadow, and the lamp arm does not interfere with movement.

These are starting points, not fixed prescriptions. A left-handed user, a wall-mounted monitor, a deep desk or a lamp with a wide diffuser may require the opposite arrangement.

Set height, angle and brightness by observation

Official guidance does not establish one universal desk-lamp height or beam angle. The correct setting changes with the lamp’s shade, arm, desk depth, monitor size, viewing distance and task. Adjust three variables together:

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Height

Raise the lamp enough to spread light over the work area and clear your hands, but not so high that the unshielded bulb enters your view. A lower head may be appropriate for a small page; a higher head may reduce a hard-edged shadow on a larger desk.

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Angle

Point the beam across the page rather than straight toward the screen. Tilt the head until the page is readable without a hotspot. If the monitor reflects the lamp, change the horizontal direction first, then the vertical angle.

Brightness

Increase brightness only after placement is correct. A brighter bulb cannot fix a reflection and can make the contrast between the paper and monitor more tiring. If the page is comfortable but the screen feels washed out, reduce the lamp output or redirect it away from the display.

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Match the remedy to the symptom

The bulb is visible or uncomfortable

  • Rotate the shade so its opaque portion blocks the source.
  • Move the lamp farther to the side or behind the monitor’s front edge.
  • Lower the brightness after repositioning.
  • Check again while sitting upright; slouching can change what enters your field of view.

A bright patch appears on the monitor

  1. Turn off the lamp briefly to confirm that it is the source.
  2. Move or re-aim the lamp until the patch disappears.
  3. If necessary, rotate the monitor or desk so the panel is not facing the lamp or a window.
  4. Control daylight with a blind or curtain and test again at the time of day when the reflection is worst.

The page has a dark band or hand shadow

  • Move the lamp to the other side of the writing area.
  • Raise the head slightly and aim across the page.
  • Widen the light’s coverage rather than simply increasing its intensity.
  • Check the shadow while writing, not only while looking at an empty page.

Your eyes feel strained when switching between page and screen

Look for a concentrated pool of light on the page beside a much darker screen or surrounding area. Reduce the lamp’s output, spread the beam, or add controlled room lighting while preserving the screen’s readable contrast. The goal is visual comfort and usable contrast, not the highest possible brightness.

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You keep leaning or twisting to see

That posture is evidence that the light or screen position is still wrong. Return to your normal seated position, move the lamp and, if needed, change the screen angle or desk orientation. Do not solve a reflection by adopting a permanent sideways posture.

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When an anti-glare filter is appropriate

Physical placement and screen orientation should come first. OSHA lists a monitor glare filter as a possible additional measure when reflections persist, with an important qualification: it should not significantly decrease screen visibility.

Use a filter only after checking the lamp, windows and monitor angle. Compare a page of ordinary text, a dark image and fine detail before and after installation. If the filter makes the display hazy, lowers contrast or forces you to increase brightness, it has not solved the underlying viewing problem.

How to evaluate an adjustable lamp

If you are choosing equipment, prioritize control rather than a promised universal placement. Useful characteristics include:

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  • An adjustable arm or head, so you can move the beam without moving the entire desk.
  • A shade or glare shield that keeps the bright source out of your direct view.
  • Stable positioning that does not drift after adjustment.
  • Brightness control, allowing supplemental light for paper without over-lighting the monitor.
  • A beam that covers the task area evenly instead of producing a small, intense hotspot.

An adjustable desk lamp can make positioning easier, but no lamp design guarantees the absence of glare. The desk, monitor, windows and your working posture still determine the final result.

A five-minute final check

  1. Sit in the chair and set the screen to its normal viewing angle.
  2. Confirm that the bulb and any bright interior of the shade are outside your direct line of sight.
  3. Look for reflections while the display shows both light and dark content.
  4. Read and write on the task surface, checking for hand, arm and monitor shadows.
  5. Change your head position slightly and verify that a reflection does not appear immediately.
  6. Check the setup with the room’s usual daylight and again when the room is lit artificially.
  7. Work for several minutes; discomfort, squinting or poor posture means another small adjustment is needed.

Repeat the check whenever you move the monitor, change the lamp, add a second screen or rearrange the desk. Lighting that is comfortable for one layout can become reflective after a small change in angle.

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