Design recommendations and future prospects for text legibility in augmented reality

Abstract

This paper provides a systematic review of the literature on text legibility in augmented reality (AR) using the PRISMA methodology, with an emphasis on head-mounted displays (HMD) and screen devices. Based on the literature review, we propose design recommendations for legibility in AR. The analysis was carried out using the 10 most important parameters: font type, text style, color and contrast, font size, text anchoring, text segmentation and organization, environmental illumination, background influence, perception depth, and text display in dynamic environments. The analysis shows that billboard and outline styles and light fonts on a dark background ensure the most reliable legibility. For static information, world-anchoring is recommended, and for dynamic information, screen-anchoring is advised. Level-of-Detail (LOD) approaches are shown to reduce cognitive load. Specialized fonts (e.g. SharpView) and adaptive algorithms that adjust the contrast, size and position of text in real time are also examined. The results indicate a marked dominance of research on HMD devices, although screen AR has great practical importance and requires more research. Regarding other research directions, the review noted hybrid approaches (HMD + smartphone), projection AR, and hardware/software upgrades such as colorimetric compensation and text position stabilization. Research on text legibility in AR for 3D text, text segmentation, and dynamic real-world scenarios remains underdeveloped. Future advances in text legibility in AR are related to the integration of typographical, perceptual and technical solutions, and reporting harmonization.