The magnifier does magnify small print if you hold it several inches away from the print. It is far from perfect though. Depending on how you hold it and at what angle sometimes it seems to blur the print a little sometimes it seems warped and under a light it will reflect the light. I would only recommend this magnifier to those who only need it for occasional use. I hope there are better magnifiers out there.
I find this magnifier a bit awkward to use. The best magnification is when it is held a little above the paper you want magnified. This is a little difficult. I also see some distortion when using it. I would suggest a frame be made to hold the magnifier so you could have a hands free tool.