Combat Eye Strain Using Windows Chrome Extensions

[#1]

This tip was born through some necessity - the new desktop site is very bright indeed with a lot of white space and I find that if I use it full screen it can cause eye strain so I looked for a solution or at least a workaround.

I found that there are two extensions available for Chrome Web Browser for Windows which offer a possible solution by changing web page colours and brightness automatically.

The first Chrome Extension is called Care your Eyes and the second is Dark Reader - both extensions are free to use and have good user ratings.

Note that there are also similar Ad-Ons for Firefox such as Color that site and ToggleDocumentColors - I have not yet tried them but looks like they do similar things to the above Chrome Extensions.

The Chrome Extensions each perform similar functions - changing web colours to different colour schemes. Each extension allows some customisation and can be set to work (or NOT work) only on specific web sites via whitelist / blacklist logic.

I know that some people struggle with viewing specific colour schemes and this may be a way to deal with that issue. Other sites may have similar issues and of course this advice is not specific to giffgaff's forum pages only. 

The main caveat is that sometimes functionality or images can get lost a bit (e.g. a text entry box may be coloured the same as the surrounding background), depending on the scheme and settings used. To counter that it is easy to switch the filters on or off from the browser toolbar.

Also you can even install both extensions in Chrome and switch them on and off independently to experiment.

Here are two screen shots - these are just example colour schemes, there are many more to choose from.

Giffgaff site with "Care your eyes" extension in Desktop Chrome

Giffgaff site with "Dark Reader" extension in Desktop Chrome

[#2]

@cim  Excellent advice on changing backgrounds and contrast to reduce eyestrain. 

To which I would add that a few mobile phones also have it built in to the menu. Either in Accessibility or Display or elsewhere, it may be there as an option in your menus. cim is right that it says that it can sometimes reduce functionality, but I have been using it on an older Huawei phone for years without problem. Blackscreen option. 

On desktops, I would also add that Apple MACS have something called Universal Access Preferences which is a one click change from white to black background, with an icon in the tool bar. (a standing person, arms outstretched symbol, don't ask me why! ). 

[#3]

Great additional points @historylessons. I think there have been proposals for years that it should be possible for users to set their own colour schemes in the forums etc - other boards offer this and if designed in to templates, styles etc should not be a difficult thing to accomplish. But for now it is good to have at least some kind of alternatives e.g. for when eye strain sets in.

[#4]

Thanks for this @cim  It will help a lot of people.  

I have no eye / sight issues but have had to turn down the brightness on my ipod screen.  

by the way your avatar is one of few which really suits the new shape!!! 

[#5]

thanks @cim most helpfull.

[#6]

Thanks @kath72 - I hope so.

Ah... the new round avatars.... as it happens I was not so happy with my avatar in the new format - I liked it better with a bit of night sky around it for contrast and if I shrink it, it may look more like a negative of a polo mint. Also the thin border doesn't look great round it but mebbe a bit late to change it now, had it for years 

Probably a discussion for another thread but I think that while the circular avatars may be on-trend, they are less easy to convey unique identities at a glance. That said some, including yours still work very well though!

[Edit] - just switched to a pic of a Waxing Gibbous moon I snapped a few days before the recent supermoon 

[#7]

@cim  I had to change my avatar which was the common 'gg person with sunglasses' and it was barely visible against the photographic background of the banner, using black background contrast screen. I discovered that I could download one free from the web, so now have a clearly visible 'teardrop' on a clear background that stands out. Appropriate under the circumstances!

[#8]

The waxing gibbous works well! The moon is so photogenic .... But as you say the border colour can be a clash Perhaps we should look into a series of planetary photos. If we are going spherical we might as well max it out!

Yeah mine looks quite good but it's so tiddly on mobile you can't appreciate the sunrise!!

[#9]

@cim using now a lot better.

[#10]

nice one @cim makes a big difference