2010Monitors forum
Making LCD monitors viewable in bright sunlight using low-cost shade solutions
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Stretching a dark fabric like duvateen between velcro strips attached to the monitor and surrounding structure creates an adjustable sunlight shade that takes about a minute to install or remove.
- A three-sided hood made from black coroplast material mounted around a monitor with velcro edges allows selective removal of sides for visibility adjustment and can be folded to protect the screen when not needed.
- Even inexpensive LCD monitors become usable across a wider range of lighting conditions when equipped with a simple shade and brightness is increased.
- Monitor shades made from readily available materials like coroplast typically cost between six and twenty dollars depending on sheet size.
Depends on
- The solution may interfere with sight lines or workflow in certain situations.
- Wind can make fabric-based shades impractical to use.
- A three-sided hood design provides limited protection against overhead or backlighting conditions.
- Both solutions were developed in specific field production contexts and may not apply universally.
- The original poster acknowledged using this approach because an expensive commercial monitor solution could not be justified.