Visual display terminal (VDT) and paper are indispensable reading mediums in peoples life. Providing suitable lighting environment for VDT and paper interactive reading is an important development direction to improve the quality of indoor lighting environment and meet public health needs. In order to explore the impact of lighting environment on the vision and cognition of interactive reading

we conducted subjective and objective evaluation experiments by using a combination method of subjective evaluation

visual task performance

and physiological index measurement. An experimental platform was established to study the effects of four lighting parameters (horizontal illuminance

illuminance ratio

color temperature

and screen brightness) on the visual perception (visual comfort

visual efficacy

and visual fatigue) and cognitive performance (cognitive efficiency and emotional arousal) of interactive reading. Experimental results show that for interactive reading

horizontal illuminance had the greatest impact on visual fatigue. Illuminance ratio had a significant impact on visual perception and cognitive performance. The color temperature of the light source had the greatest impact on visual comfort and visual efficacy. The brightness of the VDT screen had the greatest impact on visual fatigue

cognitive efficiency

and emotional arousal. According to parameter analysis

the optimal lighting environment parameters for interactive reading with high visual comfort and high emotional arousal are horizontal illuminance 750 lx

vertical illuminance 300 lx (illuminance ratio 2.5)

and color temperature 4 000 K

and the best screen brightness is 100 cd/m2. The optimal lighting environment parameters for interactive reading with high visual efficiency

high cognitive efficiency

and low visual fatigue are horizontal illuminance 300 lx

vertical illuminance 200 lx (illuminance ratio 1.5)

and color temperature 5 000 K

and the recommended screen brightness is 100 cd/m2. The results can provide basis for the lighting design and optimization of interactive reading.