Anti-glare screen options for iMac?

As far as I know there is no cover or masking facility to reduce the glare. This is a long standing complaint and you can read about it by entering 'screen glare' into the search box.

Apple's solution will be the retina screen when it is available for Macs but when that will be is anyone's guess.

The new iMacs are supposedly have 75% less glare than the previous generations.

Apple did this by bonding a thinner glass layer to the iMac's screen eliminating the tiny air space between the iMac's glass panel and the IMac's screen. Making the screen and glass one piece and virtually eliminating the glare.

If you still have the older model iMac, the only thing I found that does a really good job of reducing the screen glare is removing to the top glass/polycarbonate panel and using one of these metal frames to cover up the mess.

This is what I have used on both a 21.5 and 27 inch screen 2009 and 2010 iMacs.

http://www.macframes.com/

The only serious option I've been able to find is to add a second display with a matte finish.

(I haven't been as adventurous as MichelPM in removing the offending glass.)

I have the new iMac 27" sitting beside a 4 year old NEC 30" color critical display.

(I also teach prepress and look over the shoulders of 20 students on recent iMacs every day.)

I was optimistic about the supposed 75% reduction in glare on new models, but I see very little working difference between the old and new iMacs.

My new iMac is reflective enough that I can see what my neighbours are doing in their back yard and what color shirts they're wearing.

My NEC is completely glare and reflection free even in a natural light office environment. It produces color that matches my print proofs almost perfectly.

The iMac is tiring to work on over long periods of time, so I stick with the NEC for my main work. I use the iMac for e-mail, Skype, extra finder windows.

It's also great for watching YouTube in the dark.

(One benefit of the iMac is that your boss will never be able to sneak up behind you. : )

I'm hoping Apple will come out with a "headless" iMac to which I can add a display of my choosing.

DId you look at the link I provided for the previous poster?

If your iMac is a previous late 2009 to 2011 model, the glass is only held on by strong magnets.

The panel has a metal frame glued to the back of the glass that attracts the magnets and holds the panel in place.

The glass can be easily removed using different forms of suction cups to be able to pull the glass frame away from the magnets.

The MacFrame comes with its own cheapo suction cups that are used to pull the glass frame away from these magnets OR you can be a specialized suction cup device for the job.

The removal of the iMac's front glass panel takes less than a minute to remove and less than a minute to install the metal MacFrame.

This is not "Rocket science" OR "Computer Science" to remove the panel.

The "glass" feels more like a very lightweight, clear and crisp, "optical quality" polycarbonate than actual glass.

I feel it made a big difference in the reflectivity and I have been able to now sit in front of my iMac for many hours, now, without much eye fatigue and strain.

It also, runs cooler as the missing glass area of the MacFrame allows heat to dissipate from the iMac around the viewing area, now

http://www.macframes.com/install.html

If you do not like the rather cheap and skimpy suction cups the MacFrames come with, you can purchase this.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/TOOL225SCUP/

Yes, thanks Michel.

I also saw someone neatly remove the glass with a simple toilet plunger. (Wow!)

My iMac is a late 2013 27" model, if that makes any difference, and is under AppleCare. (I really like it other than its gloss.)

Since my NEC works so well, I've elected not to remove the glass on the iMac.

Out of curiosity - does the removal of the glass void the warranty, and does this work on the most recent iMac?

I'm not planning on it, just curious.

Cheers

I was under the impression, based on the tone of your reply, that you had an older iMac.

The late 2012, 2013 iMac models have NO WAY to remove the glass panel.

The glass front panel is now directly glued to the actual LCD panel making the whole display, one whole display panel.

Having the glass panel and LCD screen bonded in this manner eliminates the air space between glass and LCD panel that previous models had and was the real cause of the excessive reflectivity.

No way to "unglue" the panels easily AND without voiding your AppleCare.

Apple did this to eliminate that air space and, supposedly, reduces reflectivity by over 75%!

You should be experiencing much less reflections and eye strain than with the older, previous model iMacs.

Maybe you should try adjusting the location and angle of your iMac. Try tilting the screen slightly inward at the bottom to try and eliminate the glare from any direct or overhead lights.

Thanks Michel

Have tried these things but, in the end, ergonomics rule my workstation placement.

(and these changes didn't get rid of the reflections - they only changed where they were on the screen)

There may be some difference between the new and old Macs, but the display is still much closer to an older, reflective iMac than it is to a quality non-reflective display. I see both old and new iMacs daily, so I have some basis for comparison.

Neither old or new come close to comparing to my NEC.

It sits right beside the iMac and can be placed in any angle and in any lighting conditions its color matches my press accurate proofs.
I can work on it for much longer without eye strain and don't find myself squinting nearly as much.

So, for professional work, I really don't rely on the iMac screen.

Movies look good on it though, if I turn the lights down.

Other than that, the iMac is pretty slick. 32 gigs of RAM and a 1TB SSD drive, with twin 8TB Raids. Goes like a cat on fire.

I Have the same problem and it is very serious and threatening my career.

I work as a graphic designer and have used apple products for working over 20 years with no problems.

At present I work freelance at home on my Mac Pro with a matte display. I recently bought an iMac with a glossy screen as I felt my equipment need upgrading.

However I find it impossible to work on the iMac. Within minutes I have deep pains in both eyes and find the screen very uncomfortable to work with. I used it 3 days ago for an hour and today I still have pains coming and going in both eyes. Even to glance at the imac screen I find uncomfortabl.

I have tried many solutions and read many items in forums and am beginning to give up hope. I have tried glasses yellow and blue, uv reducing glasses. Different brightness for the screen, changing calibration. You name it I have tried it.

THis is not normal eye strain as I can work on my old Apple display for 12 hours straight with no problems, yet 1 hour on the iMac damages me for days.

I must say at this point that I can use my iPad for several hours as well with no problems which is strang.

I am now faced with th situation of having to become employed but most studios use imacs. Due to this I seriously think I will have to give up my career as it is just impossible for me to work on an iMac or one of the other new Apple glossy displays.

I would love to get to the bottom of this or for Apple to produce a matte display and see if it helps.

Sorry you are having a problem. I've had my Late 2015 5k iMac for approx 5 months and work at it for hours at a time, 7 days a week with no ill effects. Maybe you are developing a vision issue and should check with an eye doctor just in case.

If you would like to drop Apple a line about the issue…

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

no as I said I can work on my old mac 12 hours a day 7 days a week with no problems.

1 hour on the imac and I am in pain.

I regularly get my eyes checked and have no problems.

If you are not experiencing any problems you are lucky and most people are not experiencing anything.

But for quite a few people if you read forums the imac or for that matter all new apple display are causing many issues.

I understand some people have issues with the screen. I just think it's because different people have different vision sensitivities. I for one am very light sensitive and have trouble in darkness. Ambient lighting of course also makes a difference.

A while back I walked into the local print shop and found my friend sitting with an iMac on the floor next to his desk. On his desk he had a large Dell display, wireless keyboard and mouse. I asked about the arrangement and his answer was: “Loved the iMac, hated the display. Loved the display hated the Dell. So I mashed them into one."