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Print Versus Web: A Beginner's Guide for the Graphic Designosaur
Posted: APRIL 30, 2008
Print Design is from Mars; Web Design is from Venus
It doesn’t really matter specifically what planet they’re from. In reality, the fundamentals of these seemingly similar arts are polar opposites. Areas such as file size and setup, color mode, and font usage all have different standards in web design than they do in graphic design. The key lies in the designers thought process.
Picture Perfect
If anything, graphic designers always fret about the quality of an image. Sparing generalities, bigger is always better. Print design is mainly based upon an image or series thereof. The quality of an image carries the success of a project. We’re all designer’s here, we all know this. Now this is where a designer’s world goes haywire in web. Image quality can be sacrificed for file size. WHAT?! Yes, and with good reason too. In web, images are not the main focus in a design. Type is. Internet user’s do not go to web pages to look at pretty pictures and admire graphical elements (that is unless they’re looking for a local photographer). They go to find information for a query they have. Since web pages are more successful the faster they download, image file sizes need to be 72dpi and as small as they can be in the space allotted, without losing their integrity.
All other thought processes cascade from the notion that “smaller” is a best practice in web design. With that being said, the two ways to save images that are compatible with major web browser are jpgs and gifs. Depending on which one you use depends on the color output of the image, the file size you want for optimizing, and the quality you wish to attain. Generally, gifs are used for images containing large blocks of color with a limited color palette as it only supports 256 colors, and/or images containing transparency. Gifs are good for logos, line art, and vector art pieces. Jpegs are used for photography and more detailed artwork. They have more flexibility with file size and are used for compressing larger formats.
Color & Fonts
When it comes to color, there are only a couple select modes available to designers to choose from: CMYK and RGB. Always design in RGB.
No more fancy fonts! The fonts that are available on the web are common fonts between PCs, MACs, and lynex computers. That does not mean that you are limited in your creativity. It is easier for users to read clean fonts on the computer screen, as we naturally read slower, so getting fancy with the bulk of your copy would discourage reading and remaining on your web page. When it comes to sub headers and body copy, remember KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid! Headers that necessitate more punch can always be saved as an image.
For graphic designers that have been print designing for years, it is tough to transition into the world of web. I once had a co-worker say, “I have never met something so unbelievably frustrating and yet satisfying at the same time.” And true, I couldn’t have said it better myself. However, with a good working knowledge of the thought process that goes into designing for the web, the creative switch can be quite exhilarating.