Effects of Screen Color Mode and Color Temperature on Visual Fatigue under Different Ambient Illuminations

Abstract

Viewing electronic screens for a long time can cause visual fatigue, even induce eye problems such as refractive errors, dry eyes, etc. The relationship between screen display and visual fatigue has received much attention. This article aims to study the optimal display color temperature and color mode under two common ambient illuminations—normal office lighting (450 lux) and dark environment (3 lux). In a 2 × 2×3 experimental design, 36 participants evaluated the effects of two display color modes (light mode and dark mode) and three screen color temperatures (2800 K, 4500 K, and 6500 K) on visual fatigue under two ambient illuminations. We used eye movement tracking technology to collect blink rate and pupil diameters as objective indicators and used the Richter scale to collect subjective visual fatigue and preference score as subjective indicators. Results showed that at 450 lux, lower visual fatigue was found in the dark mode, 4500 K and 6500 K. At 3 lux, the visual fatigue was lower in the dark mode and 4500 K color temperature. Whether at daytime or night, the 2800 K color temperature resulted in the highest visual fatigue. Our findings complement the research on screen display and visual fatigue. They have practical implications for reducing visual fatigue caused by prolonged viewing of electronic screens.

Keywords:

• Display
• visual fatigue
• ambient illumination
• color temperature
• color mode

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiaojiao Xie

Xiaojiao Xie received her master’s degree from Shandong University in 2021 and is now pursuing his doctoral degree at the School of Mechatronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University. Her research interests include industrial design, human-computer interaction design, human factors engineering, and design methodology research

Suihuai Yu

Suihuai Yu is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Northwestern Polytechnical University. He is the Vice President of the China Industrial Design Association and the Director of the Key Laboratory of Ministry of Industrial Design and Ergonomics. His main research areas include industrial design, ergonomics, etc.

Dengkai Chen

Dengkai Chen is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Northwestern Polytechnical University, serving as the Director of the Industrial Design Department. He is recognized as a leading talent in philosophy and social sciences in Shanxi Province. His main research areas include industrial design, innovative design, design esthetics, etc.