Many people make the mistake of thinking that graphic design for print and graphic design for the web are the same. Although the two disciplines have a lot in common, there are some differences that are quite important – such as file formats, tools and terminology.
This guide offers a brief look at some of the biggest, and most confusing, differences between print design and web design.
What is print design?
Print design is any design that appears on printed media such as business cards, brochures and billboards and it is used to communicate a specific message to potential customers. Although the design will be created on a computer, the end product is printed.
What is web design?
Web design refers to the design of websites that are displayed on the internet and usually focuses on the user-experience aspect of the website rather than actual software development.
Now that we know the definitions of print design and web design, let’s look at the key differences between the two disciplines:
Difference One: How users approach and view your design
One of the main differences between print design and web design is how people actually view the design. Holding a flyer or business card in your hand is a much different experience than looking at something on a screen.
There is sometimes a crossover between the two, such as digital magazines which are laid out in the same way as a printed magazine, but for the majority of the time, there is a clear dividing line between print design and web design. How and where the design is going to be viewed therefore plays a large role in decisions our designers make.
Difference Two: How our design is going to be experienced by users
Whether the design is digital or print also plays a large part in how users will experience it. Both print and web design share a certain visual quality – the design needs to make a fantastic impression no matter where it is going to be displayed.
On top of this, though, print design also needs to have a tactile element such as a printing effect like embossing, shape or texture. A web design introduces the possibility of an audio/video element or other interactive options as well.
Difference Three: How the user connects with the design
Once your design has been approved and sent to the printer, it can’t be changed – unless you pay to have it reprinted. Web design, on the other hand, can be changed, tweaked or completely redesigned at any time. If you look at any news website, for example, it will look different every day – different images, different text – they are created to be changed constantly.
This means that when our designers are looking at web projects, they need to consider the ongoing functionality, including things such as buttons, forms, links, videos and so on. There is no quicker way to annoy website visitors than to present them with something that doesn’t work in the way that they expect it to.
Difference Four: Usability and navigation of the design
Print design is limited to the physical shape and size of the object, meaning navigation of the item is usually limited to flipping a page or unfolding a flyer. It is not this straightforward on the web, as users need an easy way to find the content they are looking for – which is where menus come in. Your website menu is the hub of your website navigation and so needs to be easy for visitors to find.
We also need to take into account the variety of devices and screen sizes available now, leading us to focus on responsive website design and designs that adapt to various viewing methods. We not only have to think about how the design will look on different devices, but how the design might change if viewers zoom in or out, scroll, or take any other action.
Difference Five: Compatibility
Compatibility of design is a major part of the user experience of designs for the web, as anything created for the web, including emails, needs to display correctly and operate properly in whichever browser or operating system is used. This is where it gets complicated, as each platform tends to have its own limitations. So, Apple’s mobile operating system iOS won’t render any design that is Flash-based, and Versions 8 or below of Internet Explorer cannot display Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). Our designers have to keep all of these issues in mind, therefore, and make sure their design is as user-friendly as possible for as many people as possible.
Difference Six: How content is arranged
Both print design and web design have their own unique layout requirements.
All information must be presented within the constraints of the printing surface for print design, whereas a design for the web offers our creative team the flexibility to organise, arrange and filter information in any way they choose (pretty much).
Web design must be consistent between different viewing methods (see difference five) and so testing with different browsers and operating systems is vital. Printed projects must also meet certain standards, including bleeds and margins.
Difference Seven: Design space
Layout and size of design go hand in hand.
In print design, the size of the surface to be printed is one of the biggest factors influencing how the designer will use that space, including what elements will be used and how much text will be used. Although there are standard sizes available for most print projects, paper, and many other printed surfaces, can be cut to virtually any shape or size.
Size is more of an abstract concept for web design, as the size that a design is viewed at tends to be limited by the number of devices currently available – such as computer monitors, laptops, tablets or smartphones. Making content scale to fit any device, known as responsive design, is becoming increasingly popular as people’s browsing habits are shifting more towards mobile devices.
Difference Eight: Resolution
Resolution is a key area to understand when it comes to print quality, as it affects how both graphics and photos will look in your final design. So, bear with us a minute while we get a little technical.
Resolution tends to cover DPI (dots per inch) or PPI (pixels per inch). These terms are often used interchangeably but actually refer to two different things. DPI is part of the actual printing process as it refers to the density of ink dots printed on one inch of the surface to be printed. So, equipment that is set to a higher DPI resolution will produce a higher quality image reproduction – and has nothing to do with the size of the print.
PPI, on the other hand, concerns the number of pixels (square building blocks of a digital image) displayed on one inch of screen space. The more pixels per inch, the clearer and sharper the image will be. If an image is blurred or distorted this means the PPI is being displayed at a size larger than its original pixel dimensions.
Difference Nine: File types
Although there are a multitude of file types to choose from, for both print and web design, they tend to fall into two categories: raster or vector.
- Raster images are composed of pixels and their quality depends on their resolution
- Vector images are not limited by pixels and are defined by mathematical equations, which allows them to be scaled to any size without any loss of quality
Difference Ten: Colours – CMYK and RGB
As you have probably already realised, colours display differently on screens than they do on paper because they involve different colour spaces. CMYK tends to be used for print and RGB for the web. If we are using both methods for one project – say for a logo that will go on a business card and your website, then we need to make sure that the colours chosen are consistent in appearance on both pieces.
If you want to find out more about CMYK and RGB, check out our blog post entitled “CMYK, Hex & RGB: What do they mean?”
Difference Eleven: Typography
Any font used comes in two categories: desktop and web – and these terms have to do with the copyright and legal issues surrounding where, how and how often a font can be used. Desktop fonts tend to be licenced to a single user to install on their desktop and can be used for print design, whereas web fonts are created specifically for use on websites.
When approaching fonts for print projects, pretty much anything goes depending on the project, whereas for web design, fonts need to display cleanly and be easy to read.
Hopefully, this has given you a better understanding of the similarities and differences between print and web design. If you have any web or print design projects that you would like us to help with, please feel free to get in touch.
Graphic Design for Print vs the Web: What’s the difference?
Creative Web Design and Development Graphic Design / Nov 8, 2021
Many people make the mistake of thinking that graphic design for print and graphic design for the web are the same. Although the two disciplines have a lot in common, there are some differences that are quite important – such as file formats, tools and terminology.
This guide offers a brief look at some of the biggest, and most confusing, differences between print design and web design.
What is print design?
Print design is any design that appears on printed media such as business cards, brochures and billboards and it is used to communicate a specific message to potential customers. Although the design will be created on a computer, the end product is printed.
What is web design?
Web design refers to the design of websites that are displayed on the internet and usually focuses on the user-experience aspect of the website rather than actual software development.
Now that we know the definitions of print design and web design, let’s look at the key differences between the two disciplines:
Difference One: How users approach and view your design
One of the main differences between print design and web design is how people actually view the design. Holding a flyer or business card in your hand is a much different experience than looking at something on a screen.
There is sometimes a crossover between the two, such as digital magazines which are laid out in the same way as a printed magazine, but for the majority of the time, there is a clear dividing line between print design and web design. How and where the design is going to be viewed therefore plays a large role in decisions our designers make.
Difference Two: How our design is going to be experienced by users
Whether the design is digital or print also plays a large part in how users will experience it. Both print and web design share a certain visual quality – the design needs to make a fantastic impression no matter where it is going to be displayed.
On top of this, though, print design also needs to have a tactile element such as a printing effect like embossing, shape or texture. A web design introduces the possibility of an audio/video element or other interactive options as well.
Difference Three: How the user connects with the design
Once your design has been approved and sent to the printer, it can’t be changed – unless you pay to have it reprinted. Web design, on the other hand, can be changed, tweaked or completely redesigned at any time. If you look at any news website, for example, it will look different every day – different images, different text – they are created to be changed constantly.
This means that when our designers are looking at web projects, they need to consider the ongoing functionality, including things such as buttons, forms, links, videos and so on. There is no quicker way to annoy website visitors than to present them with something that doesn’t work in the way that they expect it to.
Difference Four: Usability and navigation of the design
Print design is limited to the physical shape and size of the object, meaning navigation of the item is usually limited to flipping a page or unfolding a flyer. It is not this straightforward on the web, as users need an easy way to find the content they are looking for – which is where menus come in. Your website menu is the hub of your website navigation and so needs to be easy for visitors to find.
We also need to take into account the variety of devices and screen sizes available now, leading us to focus on responsive website design and designs that adapt to various viewing methods. We not only have to think about how the design will look on different devices, but how the design might change if viewers zoom in or out, scroll, or take any other action.
Difference Five: Compatibility
Compatibility of design is a major part of the user experience of designs for the web, as anything created for the web, including emails, needs to display correctly and operate properly in whichever browser or operating system is used. This is where it gets complicated, as each platform tends to have its own limitations. So, Apple’s mobile operating system iOS won’t render any design that is Flash-based, and Versions 8 or below of Internet Explorer cannot display Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). Our designers have to keep all of these issues in mind, therefore, and make sure their design is as user-friendly as possible for as many people as possible.
Difference Six: How content is arranged
Both print design and web design have their own unique layout requirements.
All information must be presented within the constraints of the printing surface for print design, whereas a design for the web offers our creative team the flexibility to organise, arrange and filter information in any way they choose (pretty much).
Web design must be consistent between different viewing methods (see difference five) and so testing with different browsers and operating systems is vital. Printed projects must also meet certain standards, including bleeds and margins.
Difference Seven: Design space
Layout and size of design go hand in hand.
In print design, the size of the surface to be printed is one of the biggest factors influencing how the designer will use that space, including what elements will be used and how much text will be used. Although there are standard sizes available for most print projects, paper, and many other printed surfaces, can be cut to virtually any shape or size.
Size is more of an abstract concept for web design, as the size that a design is viewed at tends to be limited by the number of devices currently available – such as computer monitors, laptops, tablets or smartphones. Making content scale to fit any device, known as responsive design, is becoming increasingly popular as people’s browsing habits are shifting more towards mobile devices.
Difference Eight: Resolution
Resolution is a key area to understand when it comes to print quality, as it affects how both graphics and photos will look in your final design. So, bear with us a minute while we get a little technical.
Resolution tends to cover DPI (dots per inch) or PPI (pixels per inch). These terms are often used interchangeably but actually refer to two different things. DPI is part of the actual printing process as it refers to the density of ink dots printed on one inch of the surface to be printed. So, equipment that is set to a higher DPI resolution will produce a higher quality image reproduction – and has nothing to do with the size of the print.
PPI, on the other hand, concerns the number of pixels (square building blocks of a digital image) displayed on one inch of screen space. The more pixels per inch, the clearer and sharper the image will be. If an image is blurred or distorted this means the PPI is being displayed at a size larger than its original pixel dimensions.
Difference Nine: File types
Although there are a multitude of file types to choose from, for both print and web design, they tend to fall into two categories: raster or vector.
- Raster images are composed of pixels and their quality depends on their resolution
- Vector images are not limited by pixels and are defined by mathematical equations, which allows them to be scaled to any size without any loss of quality
Difference Ten: Colours – CMYK and RGB
As you have probably already realised, colours display differently on screens than they do on paper because they involve different colour spaces. CMYK tends to be used for print and RGB for the web. If we are using both methods for one project – say for a logo that will go on a business card and your website, then we need to make sure that the colours chosen are consistent in appearance on both pieces.
If you want to find out more about CMYK and RGB, check out our blog post entitled “CMYK, Hex & RGB: What do they mean?”
Difference Eleven: Typography
Any font used comes in two categories: desktop and web – and these terms have to do with the copyright and legal issues surrounding where, how and how often a font can be used. Desktop fonts tend to be licenced to a single user to install on their desktop and can be used for print design, whereas web fonts are created specifically for use on websites.
When approaching fonts for print projects, pretty much anything goes depending on the project, whereas for web design, fonts need to display cleanly and be easy to read.
Hopefully, this has given you a better understanding of the similarities and differences between print and web design. If you have any web or print design projects that you would like us to help with, please feel free to get in touch.
