Handheld Magnifiers

Sometimes our prescription glasses just can't do the job when we're trying to see small print or details. So what's the first thing we think of that might give our vision a boost? If you said a magnifier, you'd be right.

We usually have one around the house. Right? Or they're easily purchased at a nearby drug store but magnifiers come in a lot of different shapes and sizes and having the right one and knowing exactly how to use it can make a huge difference. In this workshop, we're going to talk about a certain kind of magnifier, the kind that you hold in your hand and has a glass lens.

There are other types which we cover in other workshops, but for now we'll concentrate on what are technically called optical magnifiers.

Let's jump right in and take a look at some of our options. Two of the easiest types to use are a dome magnifier and a stand magnifier. Why? Because they sit flat on what you want to read and you don't have to hold them steady. You just move them across the print you're reading. A dome magnifier looks exactly like it sounds. Like a large round paperweight that's flat on the bottom, a solid dome of glass.

A stand magnifier has a lens mounted in a kind of cup or frame that's exactly the right height to keep things focused when you put it flat on your reading material. It usually has a handle to make it easy to move it across a line of print and many models come with light. Makes what you're trying to see brighter.

But most of the magnifiers we're familiar with, are the simple handheld magnifiers. If you've used one, you know, you have to hold them steady and hold them at the right distance from what you're trying to see. To find that right distance is pretty simple. Start by resting the magnifier on what you want to look at. Slowly move the magnifier towards your eyes and stop when things are most clear. Remember to keep your eye, the magnifier and what you're looking at, all in a straight line. Don't look through at an angle. And although most magnifiers will focus at a distance of five inches from what you're looking at. The general rule is that the stronger the lens the closer it has to get.

Once you've got things in focus, you'll also want to experiment with holding your eye at different distances from the magnifier. The main thing to bear in mind is that the closer your eye is to the magnifier, the more of the image you're able to see. All this means you'll have to hold your magnifier pretty steady and that can be tiring. So sometimes handheld magnifiers are great for short jobs like reading labels but not for long ones like reading newspapers.

We've all seen the basic magnifiers we can buy at our local drug store and we may have quickly discovered that they're not very powerful. It's natural to look at the strongest magnifier we can find. Right? But there's something to keep in mind. The stronger the magnifier, the less we see of the image we want to magnify.

A really high powered magnifier might bring newspaper print into focus but you'll only see two or three letters at a time. So wouldn't a really big lens solve that problem. A lens big enough say to cover an entire magazine page. Unfortunately, no. The stronger a lens is the smaller it gets. A lens big enough to cover a page of print won't be strong enough to be of much help. What you'll need is a magnifier that's powerful enough to bring things into focus, but also with a big enough lens to see as much of your image as you can. And the best way to find that balance is to try a whole bunch of magnifiers.

You might actually need several different kinds depending on the job you want them to do. Luckily, they're vision professionals who can help with this and a visit with one of these experts will give you your best chance at finding a handheld magnifier that works for your unique needs.

Check out our resources to learn about who these professionals are and how they can provide you with the options and expert training that ensure you have the right magnifier for the right job and don't hesitate to contact the learning expert to learn more about magnification and how you can use it to make your daily tasks easier.