In an RSVP reader, words vary in length but the focal area should feel stable. The Optimal Recognition Point, usually abbreviated ORP, is the letter position used to align successive words around a consistent visual anchor.
The short definition
ORP highlighting marks a letter at or slightly left of a word’s center and places that letter at the same screen position for every word. The letters before the anchor extend left; the letters after it extend right. A color change, guide line, or both makes the anchor easy to locate.
In Strobe, the highlighted point shifts gradually as words become longer. Counting only letters and digits, Strobe highlights the 2nd letter of a word with two to five, the 3rd for six to nine, the 4th for ten to thirteen, and the 5th for anything longer; a one-letter word uses its only letter. Whatever its index, the selected letter is always rendered at the fixed center of the reader.
Why not simply center the whole word?
Centering a word places the middle of its full width at the focal point, so the start of each word jumps left and right as word lengths change. ORP alignment places a selected letter there, with the rest of the word extending around it. Because the anchor sits early in the word, each word begins only a few letters from where your eyes already are.
Following the anchor
Keep your gaze near the highlighted position as words advance. Strobe changes the selected letter with word length while keeping its position on screen fixed.
The highlight is red by default. Highlight Color, in the Reading section of Settings, offers orange, green, teal, blue, purple, and pink, each adjusted to the text color you read with.
Alignment and timing
ORP sets the word’s position. Smart Timing adjusts its duration based on length. Punctuation Pauses and Complexity Timing provide separate adjustments.
Reader settings
Try a short passage at a moderate speed. Adjust the font and text size if words are hard to read, and the pace if they advance too quickly.
Product sources
This guide is written by Jaafar Abdeen, Strobe’s developer. For current app compatibility and features, check the Strobe App Store listing. The public source code documents the implementation.