Make your texts more comfortable to read

Changing the column width

Reducing the column width can make reading documents easier, as your eyes have less to scan.

Microsoft Word

You can change the column width by selecting Column Width on the Immersive Reader toolbar.

Column Width menu in Immersive Reader, Word

Changing the page background

Changing your background colour can help to reduce visual stress and makes reading more comfortable.

In the lmmersive Reader menu, select Page Color and choose from the available options:

Page Color menu in Immersive Reader, Word

Select your preferred background colour, using either a preset colour or by selecting More Colors to pick your own.

Selecting More Colors will display the standard windows colour picker.

More Colors menu in Page Color menu, in Immersive Reader, Word

Select OK when you've chosen your colour.

The background colour of the page will now change.

Microsoft Edge

Select the Immersive Reader button in the Microsoft Edge address bar, or press F9.

Edge address bar with 'more options' button pressed, to reveal 'Immersive Reader' and 'Read Aloud' options.

In the Immersive Reader toolbar select the Appearance Settings button Appearance settings button (unpressed) in Immersive Reader for Microsoft Edge . The following menu will appear:

Text Preferences menu in Immersive Reader, Edge

Select a theme to change the background colour of the page. In the next picture, the sepia theme is chosen.

Background colour changed to sepia, Immersive Reader in Word

Using a line focus in Microsoft Word

This feature allows you to reduce the amount of visible text on the screen as you read. You can choose to view either one, two or five lines of text at a time.

To use Line Focus in Microsoft Word, open the Immersive Reader ribbon and select the Line Focus button.

Line Focus menu in Immersive Reader, Word

You have the option of focusing on one, three, or five lines at a time.

The screenshot below shows the Line Focus tool being used with one line of focus.

To scroll through the text, click the up and down arrow buttons in the bottom-right hand corner, or use the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard.

Text spacing

This feature will increase the spacing between letters on the page.

In Microsoft Word, open the Immersive Reader ribbon and press the Text Spacing button. The horizontal and vertical text spacing will now be increased.

Text Spacing switched on, Microsoft Word