There is a lot to learn when it comes to designing for
print. A print designer deals with a whole different
set of questions and issues than a web designer. It
is important to understand the various terms that
relate to the printing process and to choose the
appropriate printing method and printer for a job.
by Eric Miller
Audience Print Design:
When beginning a project, it is important to think
about the experience of your audience, which
differs greatly between print and web design. At
the most basic level, the web is interactive and print
pieces are usually not. Your space is generally measured in inches.
In print, you are trying to get your audience to stay
on a page long enough to get a marketing message
across. You are often faced with a limited area in
which to achieve this, such as a one-page magazine
ad. In some cases, you are trying to catch their
Designing for print media versus designing for the
attention and have them dive deeper into your
web can be a completely different experience. To
product, as with a book cover or the first page of a
better understand these differences, the two can
brochure. One of the benefits of print design is that
be compared in major topic areas: types of media,
you are dealing with a physical product, so physical
audience, layout, color, technology, and careers.
properties such as texture and shape can help you
Remember, we’re looking at the graphic design side
achieve your design goals. As an example, paper
of web design, not the technical side.
companies will take out magazine ads printed on
their own paper, allowing the audience to feel the
weight and texture of their product.
Differences Between
Designing for Print and Web
Types of Media
Before looking at the actual differences in design,
it is important to know what type of work you may
find yourself doing in each field.
As a print designer, you may work on:
• Magazine advertisements
• Product design and packaging
• Business cards
• Logos
As a web designer, you may work on:
• Standard HTML websites
• Flash websites
• Email newsletters
• Banner advertising
On the web, you are generally trying to keep your
audience on a specific website for as long as
possible. The number of pages to work with can be
unlimited, so you ‘tease’ the audience with snippets
of content to entice them into clicking further into
your site. Clear navigation (buttons that users click
to get to the sections of your site), animation, sound,
and interactivity all come into play.
Layout
You can be dealing with anything from a business card
to a highway billboard.
You know the space allowed from the start and that
your finished product will look the same to everyone
who sees it.
You must have bleed and safety areas to guarantee
print results.
Web Design:
You are measuring your space in pixels.
You are faced with a challenge…designing your
sites to look the best on all size monitors and at all
monitor resolutions.
A consistent design, with consistent navigation
(always in the same place), is key to keeping people
on your site.
Another major difference is how you actually
achieve your layout. As a print designer, you know
the final piece will be delivered as-is to the printer,
though you must make the final print job appears as
intended. As a web designer, you must keep in mind
that you will deliver your design to a programmer (if
not doing it yourself) who will prepare it for the web.
Color
Both print and web design require a clear and
effective layout. In both, the overall goal is the
same…use elements of design (shapes, lines, colors,
type, etc) to present content to your audience.
Dealing with color can be very tricky in both print
and web design. It is important to understand each
of the color models and spaces, such as RGB, CMYK,
and HSV. Below are some of the choices, issues, and
The differences start in the available space to create concerns when dealing with color in print versus
web design.
your design:
Of course, the list for can go on for both, but the basic
difference is that when designing for print you will
end up with a finished product that someone can
hold in their hand, and when designing for the web
you will generally work on an ever-evolving piece
viewed on a computer display.
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