Reading should be a comfortable and confidence-building experience, yet for many children and adults, it can feel exhausting and frustrating. Individuals with dyslexia or visual stress often find it difficult to read standard black text on a white background due to glare, visual distortion, and eye strain. At HaberCraft, we understand these challenges and offer practical reading support tools such as coloured overlays to help make reading more comfortable and accessible.
Coloured overlays are widely used in schools, homes, and learning environments as an effective aid to reduce visual discomfort and improve focus during reading.
What Are Coloured Overlays?
Coloured overlays are transparent, tinted plastic sheets designed to be placed over printed text. They are available in a range of colours including yellow, blue, green, pink, peach, and purple. Each colour alters how light reflects off the page, helping to soften contrast and reduce visual stress.
At HaberCraft, dyslexia overlays are crafted from durable, shatter-resistant plastic with a smooth finish, making them suitable for daily classroom and home use. The overlays are typically A4 size, ensuring they fit most books, worksheets, and reading materials.
Understanding Visual Stress
Visual stress is a condition where the brain struggles to process visual information efficiently. It is common among individuals with dyslexia and can make reading visually uncomfortable. Symptoms of visual stress may include:
- Letters appearing to move or blur
- Difficulty keeping place while reading
- Sensitivity to bright white backgrounds
- Eye strain, headaches, or fatigue
- Reduced concentration during reading
High-contrast text can intensify these issues. Coloured overlays help by reducing glare and creating a calmer visual environment, allowing the reader’s eyes to relax and focus more easily.
How Coloured Overlays Support Readers with Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that affects reading accuracy and fluency. While dyslexia is not caused by vision problems, many people with dyslexia experience visual stress alongside it.
Coloured overlays help reduce visual discomfort by filtering specific wavelengths of light, making text appear more stable and easier to process. When visual distractions are reduced, readers can concentrate better on comprehension rather than struggling to keep words in focus.
At HaberCraft, our coloured reading overlays are designed to support readers of all ages by improving comfort without altering the text itself.
Benefits of Using Coloured Overlays
1. Reduced Glare and Eye Strain
Coloured overlays soften harsh white backgrounds and reduce brightness, helping to ease eye strain during longer reading sessions.
2. Improved Reading Comfort
Many users find that text appears calmer and less overwhelming, encouraging longer and more confident reading.
3. Better Focus and Line Tracking
Overlays can help readers follow lines of text more accurately, reducing skipped words and repeated lines.
4. Individual Colour Choice
Each person responds differently to colour. HaberCraft dyslexia overlay sets allow users to test multiple colours to find the shade that offers the greatest comfort.
5. Suitable for Children and Adults
Coloured reading overlays are ideal for students, teachers, parents, and professionals who experience visual stress when reading printed materials.
How to Choose the Right Colour Overlay
There is no single colour that works for everyone. Some readers prefer cool shades like blue or green, while others benefit more from warmer tones such as yellow or peach.
To identify the most effective colour:
- Try one overlay at a time
- Read continuously for several minutes
- Observe improvements in comfort and clarity
- Test the same colour across multiple reading sessions
At HaberCraft, we recommend consistent testing to ensure the chosen colour genuinely improves the reading experience.
Where Coloured Overlays Can Be Used
Coloured overlays are simple, flexible tools that can be used in many environments:
- In classrooms for reading books and worksheets
- At home for homework and revision
- In offices for printed documents and reports
They work best on printed text and can be combined with other dyslexia-friendly strategies such as larger fonts, structured literacy support, and assistive reading tools.
Do Coloured Overlays Really Work?
While coloured overlays do not cure dyslexia, many users report noticeable improvements in reading comfort, concentration, and endurance. These benefits are particularly significant for individuals who experience visual stress.
Because dyslexia overlays are affordable, non-invasive, and easy to use, they are often recommended as a practical first step in supporting reading comfort.
Final Thoughts
Coloured overlays are a simple yet powerful reading aid for individuals with dyslexia and visual stress. By reducing glare, minimizing visual distortion, and improving comfort, they help create a more positive reading experience.At HaberCraft, part of our wider Haberdashery Arts & Crafts range, we are committed to providing high-quality coloured overlays that support readers of all ages. Whether used in schools, homes, or workplaces, dyslexia overlays can make reading less tiring and more enjoyable — helping readers stay focused, confident, and engaged.