Web and print layouts compared
From WWR
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While this has lowered the barrier to entry and allowed a new generation of people to create pages in an online community, it hasn't changed the fact that web pages are still very different from traditional print media in layout, and the same design methodologies still don't apply.
You don't control the medium
With printed media, page layout is fixed: what you get back from your printer is exactly what you expect, and everyone who consumes your media is looking at the same fixed design.
This is not true for wiki pages, because unlike print media you don't control the medium. Because the computers people use to access your page are different from your own, you can't be sure that what looks right through your computer will magically look the same on others.
Some of the variables that can make your pages look different include:
- monitor resolution and aspect ratio
- web browsers and operating systems
- available fonts and default text sizes
So what can I do then?
- Always assume that the material you're laying out will look different on other people's machines.
- Don't rely on using images, line breaks or paragraphs to lay out the page, because it won't render the same on all computers.
- Don't over-think the page: keep it simple.
- To test how a page looks, resize your browser window and see the text move around.
- Remember that WWR is all about the content: great independent music.
See Also
- Differences Between Print Design and Web Design Anything that is a great print design is likely to be a lousy web design. There are so many differences between the two media that it is necessary to take different design approaches to utilize the strengths of each medium and minimize its weaknesses.
- Print Design vs. Web Design Although desktop publishing and Web design have a common ancestry, they aren't the same. Yes, there are certain similarities -- such as text, graphics, color, page composition, and the need for clear navigation -- but Web design has it's own set of challenges and design parameters.
- Advice versus Control - Web Design is Not Print Design Many Web designers come to the Web with a print background. Either they were print designers, or they are just used to the control that a print world gives. When you print something, it provides permanence and stability. You don't have this on the Web.
- The problem is, that it's easy to forget. When you build your Web page and test it in your browser, you get it looking exactly how you want it to look. But then you test it in a different browser, and it looks different. And if you move to a different platform, it will look differently again.
- As you're a designer, you'll need to work with customers. You will be doing them and yourself a disservice if you don't explain the difference between print and the Web. Especially if you bring your portfolio as print outs. This is a common problem, where the customer expects the printout to represent exactly what the page will look like.
Examples
Take a look at these screenshots of Meg Hutchinson's artist page, and notice how different the same article looks on each!
Also notice how the text expands and contracts to fit the screen it's being shown in. The same thing will happen on all Whole Wheat Radio wiki pages you create and edit.
 Firefox, Windows XP, 800x600 |
 Dillo, NetBSD, 1152x864 |
 Links, Solaris, 80 columns |
 Safari, Mac, 1440x900, large fonts |
 Nokia e61i Phone Browser, 320x240 |
 Konqueror, FreeBSD, 1680x1050 |
 Firefox, Windows - Jim's default screen resolution and wiki skin |
 Internet Explorer, Windows - Jim's default screen resolution and wiki skin |
 Firefox, Windows - WWR's Midnight Underwear option |
 Firefox, Windows - WWR's Clear & Easy Underwear option |
 Firefox, Windows - WWR Wiki "Dusk" skin applied |
 Firefox, Windows - WWR Wiki "Nostalgia" skin applied |
 Firefox, Windows - WWR Wiki "Simple" skin applied |
 Firefox, Windows - WWR Wiki "Chick" skin applied |
 Firefox, Windows - WWR Wiki set to "Printable Version" |
