Locate the reflection that is causing trouble
Sit in your normal working position and open a page containing both dark and light areas. Switch the task lamp on and off by itself. If the distracting patch disappears with it, adjust the lamp head before moving the whole fitting. A reflected image on the display needs a different correction from a light source that shines directly into your eyes.
Check from your usual seated height. An arrangement that looks comfortable while standing may be glaring when you sit down. Adjust height and tilt as well as sideways position where the lamp allows it. Watch whether the beam still reaches the paper area you need. Pushing the light behind the monitor may remove the reflection while also removing useful light from your notes.
Include your writing hand in the trial
Put a notebook where you normally write and complete a few lines. If your hand's shadow covers the next line, try the opposite side of the desk or a different angle. Placing a lamp opposite the writing hand is a starting point, rather than a guarantee: a monitor, shelf or articulated arm can alter the path of the light.
Add a larger document if you regularly work with plans or spread-out files. A small bright patch may suit a sticky note while forcing you to move a larger sheet repeatedly. Check that the lamp can reach the required area without hanging over drinks or colliding with a monitor arm. For a clamp-mounted fitting, the permitted installation, desktop thickness and edge shape all need to match.
Make useful positions easy to repeat
Photograph a successful arrangement as a reminder or discreetly mark the suitable position of the base. Then try a video call and check whether the lamp creates a distracting bright area in the camera view. Paperwork and conversation may require different positions. An adjustment you can reach easily is more useful than a complicated arrangement you will avoid changing during the working day.
Route the cable so that moving the arm does not pull on its connector. Keep the switch and any brightness control accessible. If the desk changes height, check both ends of its travel. Finally, repeat the trial after dark. A position that works alongside daylight can produce a much stronger contrast against a dark room. Adjust the surrounding room light as well, rather than simply turning up the task lamp.
