Print Design vs. Web Design
Fundamentally Not the Same
To the dismay of time and budget efficient marketers across the nation, you can't just post your print design up on your web site and call it a day. They are two entirely different forms of communication and consumers don't react to them the same.
What's the Difference
The strategy behind print design is linear, based on the reactive movement of the eye. Remember the old "Z" graphic representation that shows where the eye will follow on a page? Print design is all about space and direction. On the contrary, web design is based on movement of the hand. Your hand controls what direction you will go and where you will select to view. It's impossible to use a linear model because everyone uses different screens, has different resolutions, and reacts differently to a web page. Web design must be functional, interactive, and creative.
Planning Your Layout
Print is a very controlled media outlet. You have your choice of colors, fonts, and ultimately define what the consumer will view in the end with minimal distraction. Therefore it's not always necessary to map it out ahead of time. You can often explore and find a visually stimulating way to communicate your message through an image, font, or color. Web design on the other hand has limitations because you don't have 100 percent control of what the consumer chooses to view and on top of that, you have limitations on your fonts and use of color. Also, if a consumer cannot easily navigate your web site or web page, they won't. It is therefore essential to map out your navigation and/or web page before starting the actual design. User interaction and navigation is key and can also play an important role in your design. Explore the different directions your page may be viewed and make sure your message is not cluttered by utilizing lots of white space.
Logos, Fonts, and Color Usage
For print pieces EPS or vector files are the preferred file of choice for line art. TIFFs work well for printed photographs. On the contrary, the web requires a GIF or JPEG. GIF files work well for line art while JPEG files work for photographs or high gradient images. As for fonts, of course you have no limitations with print. You control the final piece the consumer is viewing. For the web, you can only use common fonts that most people have on their computers such Times New Roman, Verdana, Ariel, etc. You can create a text graphic that will maintain the look of your font on the web, however functionality is key and too many pictures create a longer download time for your impatient viewers as well as limiting the ability of "spiders" to catalog your site information. Also, your image resolution should not exceed 72 ppi. Anything larger will take too long to download and be lost on the screen anyway. Remember, fifty percent of visitors will already be scrolling through your document before the page downloads are complete. As for fonts, the skies the limit with print; however with web design you are limited to 216 web safe colors plus an array of Hex values, which may or may not replicate specific spot colors or CMYK values.
The one thing print and web design have in common is the end result: clarity of your message. Choose the right path for your outlet and your message will be communicated effectively.
If you have further questions on the difference between print and web design, or would like assistance with your print or web design, contact Avant Garde today!
Copyright 2006 Avant Garde Productions. Questions or comments? Contact us today.
To the dismay of time and budget efficient marketers across the nation, you can't just post your print design up on your web site and call it a day. They are two entirely different forms of communication and consumers don't react to them the same.
What's the Difference
The strategy behind print design is linear, based on the reactive movement of the eye. Remember the old "Z" graphic representation that shows where the eye will follow on a page? Print design is all about space and direction. On the contrary, web design is based on movement of the hand. Your hand controls what direction you will go and where you will select to view. It's impossible to use a linear model because everyone uses different screens, has different resolutions, and reacts differently to a web page. Web design must be functional, interactive, and creative.
Planning Your Layout
Print is a very controlled media outlet. You have your choice of colors, fonts, and ultimately define what the consumer will view in the end with minimal distraction. Therefore it's not always necessary to map it out ahead of time. You can often explore and find a visually stimulating way to communicate your message through an image, font, or color. Web design on the other hand has limitations because you don't have 100 percent control of what the consumer chooses to view and on top of that, you have limitations on your fonts and use of color. Also, if a consumer cannot easily navigate your web site or web page, they won't. It is therefore essential to map out your navigation and/or web page before starting the actual design. User interaction and navigation is key and can also play an important role in your design. Explore the different directions your page may be viewed and make sure your message is not cluttered by utilizing lots of white space.
Logos, Fonts, and Color Usage
For print pieces EPS or vector files are the preferred file of choice for line art. TIFFs work well for printed photographs. On the contrary, the web requires a GIF or JPEG. GIF files work well for line art while JPEG files work for photographs or high gradient images. As for fonts, of course you have no limitations with print. You control the final piece the consumer is viewing. For the web, you can only use common fonts that most people have on their computers such Times New Roman, Verdana, Ariel, etc. You can create a text graphic that will maintain the look of your font on the web, however functionality is key and too many pictures create a longer download time for your impatient viewers as well as limiting the ability of "spiders" to catalog your site information. Also, your image resolution should not exceed 72 ppi. Anything larger will take too long to download and be lost on the screen anyway. Remember, fifty percent of visitors will already be scrolling through your document before the page downloads are complete. As for fonts, the skies the limit with print; however with web design you are limited to 216 web safe colors plus an array of Hex values, which may or may not replicate specific spot colors or CMYK values.
The one thing print and web design have in common is the end result: clarity of your message. Choose the right path for your outlet and your message will be communicated effectively.
If you have further questions on the difference between print and web design, or would like assistance with your print or web design, contact Avant Garde today!
Copyright 2006 Avant Garde Productions. Questions or comments? Contact us today.
posted by Paul at
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