iPad Pro iPad Pro for note taking: white or black bezel?

[Sodium Chloride]

I am going to buy an iPad Pro 12.9” 2017 model for the sole purpose of note taking with the Apple Pencil. I already have an iPad Pro with black bezel but my main complain with the device is eyestrain. After using my iPad for note taking, in less than an hour or half an hour I start to get eye strain.

Would a new iPad with a white bezel cause less eye strain than black bezel’s?

Would the white bezel be better for reading since the white background of the page blends with the white bezel? Albeit there would be a thin but visible black frame that separates the screen and the white bezel. Is it distracting?

 

[ericwn]

Hm, tough one. Honestly - do you know what’s causing you these eye issues on your current setup?

My iPad Pro is a first generation with white bezels and I don’t feel any extra strain on my eyes. I went for white with this model thinking it might look a bit lighter compared to a black bezel.

Maybe the answer for you is a change of software for note taking - or do you think it’s a display property that causes you eye strain?

When I take my pencil notes for work I often would use Apple Notes (GoodNotes for private stuff mostly) and in Apple Notes I can have Dark Mode as well, so I end up writing with white on a black surface. Maybe that would help your eyes?

Best success!

 

[AutomaticApple]

I am going to buy an iPad Pro 12.9” 2017 model for the sole purpose of note taking with the Apple Pencil. I already have an iPad Pro but my main complain with the device is eyestrain. After using my iPad for note taking, in less than an hour or half an hour I start to get eye strain.

Would a new iPad with a white bezel cause less eye strain than black bezel’s?

Would the white bezel be better for reading since the white background of the page blends with the white bezel? Albeit there would be a thin but visible black frame that separates the screen and the white bezel. Is it distracting?

You might as well go for the one with the black bezels.

 

[wmadan]

I'm over 60, so anything white on the screen is straining to me. I run my iPad Pro in dark mode. That, along with the black bezels, hides the floaters in my eyes.

 

[Kal-037]

White has always been my preferred glass front color. It just looks nicer on the older iPad designs IMO.

 

[danmart]

Would a new iPad with a white bezel cause less eye strain than black bezel’s?

I don’t really see how that would make any difference.

What does make a big difference is the brightness of your screen. To minimise eye strain, turn it down as low as you can whilst still being able to clearly see what is on it.

Your eye uses the full level of light entering it to decide how much to open or close your Iris. When you are fixated on something much brighter than your overall environment it causes discomfort. Reduce the brightness on your screen to the point where it closely matches ambient lighting and this source of discomfort will greatly diminish.

 

[secretk]

I don’t really see how that would make any difference.

I fail to see it too. I have eye issues - high astigmatism and medium to high myopia. It is also malignant condition as I am almost 34 years old and I have to adapt my prescription every two years and it gets worse. In other words I know what eye strain means and I pay the price for it. I do not think that bezels' color makes difference for me.

What does make a big difference is the brightness of your screen. To minimize eye strain, turn it down as low as you can whilst still being able to clearly see what is on it.

Yes, balance is needed. You should be able to see properly. Good contrast helps as well. I tend to increase text size a bit and ensure better contrast to avoid eye strain.

Your eye uses the full level of light entering it to decide how much to open or close your Iris. When you are fixated on something much brighter than your overall environment it causes discomfort. Reduce the brightness on your screen to the point where it closely matches ambient lighting and this source of discomfort will greatly diminish.

I agree with that. I also I do think that white bezels can make you see the screen even brighter so that can contribute but only if the brightness is already high.

 

[cambookpro]

I wouldn’t overthink it, I don’t think it makes too much of a difference. I’ve used both white and black bezel-ed iPads in the past for reading and never noticed any difference in eye strain.

Just go for what you prefer. I think the white iPads looks a bit more fresh and modern, but the colour temperature of the bezel vs the screen can sometimes differ even with True Tone which some people don’t like.

 

[one more]

I do not think your eye strain is caused by the bezel colour. It is actually easier for our eyes to read light text on a dark background, as opposed to black text on a white background. I would rather try to go through your FaceID and TrueTone settings, as well as Reduce White Point (Settings - Accessibility).

 

[danmart]

It is actually easier for our eyes to read light text on a dark background, as opposed to black text on a white background.

I don’t believe so, and my bachelors degree is in Ergonomics so this is something I have studied in detail (though admittedly not recently, so if you have recent research on this topic I would be interested in a link).

Getting a good volume of light to the eye is beneficial to reading, and dark text on light background helps in this regard. It just becomes a problem when there is too much light as I described above.

 

[secretk]

I don’t believe so, and my bachelors degree is in Ergonomics so this is something I have studied in detail (though admittedly not recently, so if you have recent research on this topic I would be interested in a link).

Getting a good volume of light to the eye is beneficial to reading, and dark text on light background helps in this regard. It just becomes a problem when there is too much light as I described above.

I am not specialist so what I can share is my personal experience. Indeed it is about balance. I do need enough light. Reading text with high brightness is as harmful for me as reading in really low brightness level. In fact I have registered my first eyes issues after 6 months of watching TV in the dark. Not a good idea. Eyes need natural like light source that is constant that allows you to read without any strain. If you have to squint your eyes something is wrong. If colors are too much in your face something is wrong.

 

[chrfr]

It is actually easier for our eyes to read light text on a dark background, as opposed to black text on a white background.

I absolutely do not find this to be true, and I find no reports that it's in any way proven.

 

[one more]

I absolutely do not find this to be true, and I find no reports that it's in any way proven.

You need to remember that we are not talking about printed books, but light emitting screens. Computer screens being projections, the black-white contrast is more pronounced than it is on a printed book. This increased contrast causes eye-strain quickly.

 

[danmart]

Here’s a fairly recent article on ‘dark mode’ for Android. Even here, the author notes that it is easier to read dark text on a light background.

Love dark mode? Here’s why you may still want to avoid it.

While there are some advantages of using dark mode, it may not be good for you. Here's why you may want to avoid the light-on-dark theme.

www.androidauthority.com

 

[chrfr]

You need to remember that we are not talking about printed books, but light emitting screens. Computer screens being projections, the black-white contrast is more pronounced than it is on a printed book. This increased contrast causes eye-strain quickly.

Regardless, I don't get eyestrain from dark on light like I do reading light text on dark background displays. This article and its linked posts seems to indicate that I'm not alone with this. https://tidbits.com/2019/05/31/the-dark-side-of-dark-mode/

 

[sracer]

How one's eyes respond to a black or white bezel is solely dependent on the individual. One's own experience won't translate to another person.

 

[rui no onna]

You need to remember that we are not talking about printed books, but light emitting screens. Computer screens being projections, the black-white contrast is more pronounced than it is on a printed book. This increased contrast causes eye-strain quickly.

I still find dark on light background easier.

The Dark Side of Dark Mode - TidBITS

Apple has pushed Dark Mode hard in Mojave, and it will appear in iOS 13 as well. If Apple thinks Dark Mode is such a good idea, should you switch to it? Only if you’re more interested in being trendy than productive, since the science behind human visual perception is resoundingly against Dark Mode.

tidbits.com

That said, bezels aren't background, though. I always prefer black bezels. White bezels aren't an exact shade match to the screen and that bothers me more than plain black bezels do.