Reading on 3D Surfaces in Virtual Environments

While text tends to lead a rather static life on paper and screens, virtual reality (VR) allows readers to interact with it in novel ways: the reading surface is no longer confined to a 2D plane. We conducted two user studies, in which we assessed text rendered on different surface shapes in VR and their effects on legibility and the reading experience. Comparing differently curved surfaces, these studies disclose the impact of warp angles and view box widths on reading comfort, speed, and distraction. Our results suggest that text should be warped around the horizontal rather than the vertical axis, and we provide recommendations for the extent of warp and view box width. In a proof-of-concept application, we used everyday 3D objects as text canvases and studied them through an information-seeking task. The studies’ implications inform VR interfaces and, more generally, the rendering of text on 3D objects.