Writing on a PC - Combating Eyestrain?

I'm also writing on a computer and at the moment I don't have issues with eye strain. Thinking about it I'm pretty sure it's because of the visual setup though.
I'm using a large sans-serif font and I've got my document zoom set so that a line on the page covers the entire length of the screen. The screen is a fairly small one (13" I believe) so if you have a bigger one that may not be needed. I believe the key point is to use a large font with no serifs. The serifs are the little feet on letters in for example Times New Roman. They're a great way to improve readability when reading on paper, but with the lower resolution of a monitor they can get blurry and annoying.

The following article gives more detailed explanations and suggestions for choosing on-screen font: Typofile Magazine - The best faces for the Screen
It's fairly detailed and can easily be summed up as "use a larger font with no serifs".

 

I'm trying this out now too. Let's see how it goes. I like having just candles lit at night so I'll try out the Candle option for that.

 

I always have my font set to at least 13pt, and sometimes I'll set the background to black with red lettering at night.

 

Rinzei, you might also want to look at your desk lighting. I also have a very strong prescription, and I find that when I use direct lighting on my desk that my eyes strain very quickly. Several years ago I switched to indirect lighting, first by changing from a desk lamp to a swivel neck art land and facing it away from my desk, and then going all out and lighting my office area with a paper lantern directly behind me. I also have a 20' monitor with my word processing program set to full screen and my font never smaller than 12pt. No more eyestrain!

 

You might want to go for an eye test. I started to get eye strain when wearing my old glasses, even when I increased the font size. Then I had a scheduled eye test and they gave me a new prescription. My new glasses made things a lot better. Don't skimp on lenses and get cheap ones though, because they won't be as accurate to your needs as expensive lenses.

You might also want to look into what kind of monitor you use. I can't use my mum's computer because the old CRT monitor really does a number on my eyes, but my flatscreen is fine; at work, I use dual screen laptop and separate flatscreen monitor, and it's easier to look at the separate monitor than the laptop monitor.

If you don't have the cash to spend on this stuff, all I can suggest is bigger font, try trading your monitor for a friend's, or type in 80% grey instead of black, which is softer on the eyes. Also remember to look away from your screen for at least 5 minutes ever hour. Get up and make a cup of tea, go to the toilet, stretch, do a small household chore like setting the laundry going etc. It gives your eyes a variety of distances to focus at and some exercise.

 

You can get specially tinted glasses that help with eye strain. Also, take a look at the posture and ergonomics of your sitting position - if your monitor is the wrong height, or badly lit, those things can cause additional problems.

The top of your monitor should be about level or just below your eyes.