How to Measure a Computer Screen for a Privacy Filter
By C. Taylor
Privacy filters reduce the viewing angle on your computer screen to prevent others from reading the display. When looking at the monitor from the front, the screen appears normal, but as you move to the sides, the image blurs. Two measurements are important when sizing a privacy filter. The aspect ratio describes the height and width relationship, such as full-screen --otherwise known as standard size-- or widescreen. The diagonal measurement describes the size of the screen.
Step 1
Hold the end of the tape measure against the upper-left corner of the screen's visible area.
Step 2
Span the tape measure diagonally across the screen to the opposite corner.
Step 3
Read the measurement at the lower-right corner of the screen's visible area. Do not include the casing in the measurement. This is the screen size.
Step 4
Measure the left and top sides of the screen's visible area.
Step 5
Divide the top measurement by the left measurement to determine the aspect ratio. If the measurement is closer to 1.33, your screen is a standard full-screen size. If the measurement is closer to 1.78, the screen has a widescreen aspect ratio. Some variability is expected in the result, but the quotient should be close to those sizes.
Step 6
Purchase a privacy screen that conforms to the screen size determined in Step 3 and the aspect calculated in Step 5. If you're buying a frame-less filter, the size must be exact. For framed filters, choose one that exactly matches your measurements or is slightly larger.
Writer Bio
C. Taylor embarked on a professional writing career in 2009 and frequently writes about technology, science, business, finance, martial arts and the great outdoors. He writes for both online and offline publications, including the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Samsung, Radio Shack, Motley Fool, Chron, Synonym and more. He received a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences at College of Charleston. He also holds minors in statistics, physics and visual arts.