The other day decluttering my house I came across the clip-on magnifiers I used when I worked as a dental hygienist. It dawned on me I’ve used them for more than checking grooves in teeth. Sometimes I use them with scribal work. And you may like them too.

You can use magnification to draw or paint fine scroll details, if you want. And as I wrote in March eyeglasses were period. So why not enhance your vision even more, today? The proper magnifier would leave both your hands free for holding your art, painting and drawing.

But I don’t mean eyeglasses this time. If you wear glasses you might want additional magnification along with them. If you don’t need daily vision correction perhaps you’d like them just for fine detailed work.

Are their different magnifier types?

I’ve googled hands-free magnifier types. Several could work for scribes. The different styles include:

• Clip-on: attach to your own eyeglasses.
• Headband: pictured here
• Necklace: used by needle crafters
• Stand based: come in floor and table-top versions
• “Readers”

These vision enhancers are better than my old clip-ons. Many have built-in lighting. Stand-based magnifiers may have gooseneck supports so you can easily adjust their position. Some have multi-power lenses for just the right magnification and for the precise distance you need.

Which magnifiers work best for your situation?

There are things you should consider when choosing the best vision enhancer. Some styles work better for scribes than others.

Bear in mind how and where you prefer working and what you will use it for. Know how your options suit your situation. You want to put their features to best use.

There are questions to ask yourself.

• What magnifying power do you want?
• Will head-gear be comfortable to wear for long periods?
• Will it interfere with your work-space, tools, or materials?
• Will clip-ons reposition your own eye-wear inappropriately?

And “readers” are a thing of their own. I include them here because I have an SCA friend that uses them over his glasses to paint his miniature model’s fine details. Why wouldn’t they work for scribes too? Might be worth a try.

You can find hands-free magnifiers at art stores, hobby shops and of course Amazon. I even bought the necklace one for my embroidery, mostly for its light. They serve their purpose well.

I’m near sighted and wear glasses, even though I still see up-close without them. A hands-free magnifier is useful. It’s versatile too.

I have used both my clip-ons and necklace magnifier for multiple things. You can use it to remove splinters, make jewelry, do delicate bead work, or clip your cat’s nails. Keep it handy and you may find you use it several times a day. They are a blessing for your detailed tasks.

Related Prior Post:

• The Myopic Scribe
• Secrets To Reducing Scribal Pain
• 8 Handy Accessory Scribal Tools

Related External Source: Although for vision impaired people this source has excellent additional information.