How to see stereograms
Every puzzle here is a stereogram: a flat pattern that hides a 3D word or shape. Your eyes have to look through the screen, not at it. Six practice images below go from the easiest possible to a hard weekly level. Each has a check so you know you saw it.
The method
- Bring your face close to the screen, about a hand's width away, so the image blurs.
- Look through the screen as if at something far behind it. Keep your eyes relaxed.
- Lean back slowly, keeping that relaxed, far-away focus.
- Watch the two dots above the image. When they become three, your eyes are set. Hold that, and the hidden picture rises out of the pattern.
Look through the screen; do not cross your eyes. Crossing your eyes shows the picture sunk in instead of floating out. See parallel vs cross-eyed viewing for both methods.
Step 1: Find the three dots
A flat pattern with nothing hidden. Practice only the eye trick: make the two dots above the image become three.
When the two dots become three, the whole pattern looks like a flat wall floating at one depth. That is the view you hold for every puzzle.
Step 2: One big square
A large square floats in front of the pattern. The depth is extra deep, so this is the easiest image on the site.
Step 3: A simple shape
A heart, slightly less deep. If you saw the square, give your eyes a moment to settle the same way.
Step 4: A short word
Three letters in a big, bold font. Words need you to hold the view a little longer to read them.
Step 5: Weekly level
This is a typical weekly puzzle: normal depth and a busier texture.
Step 6: Hard level
A shape with shallow depth and a sand texture, close to the hardest weeks.
If you cannot see it yet
- Give it a full minute. The first time often takes longer than every time after.
- Try a bigger screen. Phones work, but a laptop or monitor is easier while you learn.
- Hold a finger a few inches in front of the screen, look at the finger, then move it away without moving your eyes.
- Find your reflection in the screen and look at it. Then let the pattern come into view behind it.
- Blink and rest if your eyes get tired. Strain makes it harder.
- More fixes, cause by cause: why can't I see stereograms.
Why some people cannot see stereograms
Seeing a stereogram needs stereo vision: both eyes working together to judge depth. Published estimates of stereo blindness range from about 3 percent to over 10 percent of people, depending on the test; causes include a lazy eye, a childhood squint, or a large difference between the eyes. For them the hidden picture does not appear, and practice cannot change that. If that is you, nothing is wrong with your effort, and the rest of the site is still yours: the archive shows every answer and depth map once a week closes.
Questions
What is a stereogram?
A stereogram is a flat image that hides a 3D picture. The pattern repeats with small shifts; when your eyes look through the screen, your brain merges neighboring repeats and the shifts appear as depth.
How long does it take to see one?
Most people see their first one within a few minutes of practice. Start with the big square in step 2: it has the most depth on the site.
Should I cross my eyes?
No. These images are made for looking through the screen, as if at something far behind it. Crossing your eyes shows the hidden picture sunk in instead of floating out.
Why can some people never see them?
Seeing depth this way needs both eyes working together. People with little or no stereo vision, often from a lazy eye or a childhood squint, cannot see the hidden picture, and practice does not change that.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. Turn your phone sideways: the image opens full screen at its native size. Turn it upright again to type your answer. A laptop or desktop screen is easier for beginners.
Is it bad for my eyes?
Viewing stereograms is relaxing focus, the same as looking into the distance. Stop and rest if your eyes feel tired or you get a headache.
Ready for the real thing
This week's puzzle is timed by the server and ranked on the leaderboard. When you can see step 5, you can solve most weeks.
Stereogram books
Printed stereogram books are good practice away from a screen: stereogram books on Amazon, and stereogram posters.
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