24-inch vertical monitor: height, width and desk fit

Portrait is the same panel turned on its side, so it shows more lines of text and fewer columns. That suits code, long documents, chat logs and any thread you scroll from top to bottom. A wide spreadsheet or timeline still reads better in landscape.

The screen has to rotate to portrait, which means the stand or arm must swivel the panel. OSHA says monitor support surfaces should let you change viewing distances and tilt and rotation angles, so check that any stand you're considering offers those adjustments.

The drawing uses one stand height for every monitor. On that stand the bottom edge is 4.7 inches (12.0 cm) from the desk and the top edge is 25.6 inches (65.1 cm) from it. Real stands vary, so read both as about.

This size suits a small desk or a second screen for code, chat and documents. Width isn't the constraint here, since the panel leaves 18.1 inches (46.0 cm) on each side of a 48-inch (122 cm) desk. Depth needs a closer look. The desk is 24 inches (61 cm) deep, and OSHA asks for "adequate desk space between the user and the monitor (table depth)." OSHA's preferred viewing distance is 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 cm) from your eyes to the front of the screen.

Before you buy a stand, measure from the desk to your eyes while you sit. OSHA says, "The top of the monitor should be at or slightly below eye level." Then compare that measurement with the top edge height on this page. If the top sits well above your eyes, pick a stand or arm that can bring it down.