EFFECTS OF SCREEN, TEXT/BACKGROUND COLOR COMBINATION AND CHINESE TYPOGRAPHIC ON USERS' VISUAL PERFORMANCE AND VISUAL FATIGUE

Abstract

ABSTRACT Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors have gradually replaced the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors as the major visual display terminals (VDT). However, CRT is still widely used in many VDT workstations. Therefore, It is needed to investigate the effect of monitor on users' visual performance. This study investigated the effect of type of screen (CRT and LCD), text/background color combination (black-on-white, blue-on-white, purple-on-white, black-on-light purple, and black-on-yellow), and Chinese typographic (computer type, standard Kai type, bold-face font, and imitative Sung type) on subjects' visual performance and visual fatigue. The results of this study showed that the type of screen and Chinese typographic had no significant effects on subjects' visual performance. The text/background color combination significantly affected subjects' performance. Subjects' performance was getting better when the color difference of text/background became lager. When the color difference of text/background was smaller, LCD users' performance was better than CRT users'. But when the color difference of text/background was larger, CRT users' performance was better than LCD users'. For the subjects' visual fatigue, the change of CFF (Critical Flicker Fusion) was significantly affected by Chinese typographic. For another index of visual fatigue—subjects' subjective visual fatigue, neither the type of screen nor Chinese typographic had significant effect on it.