Web pages: online vs. print

[StephanieCC]

Since web pages are just that, "web" pages, how much emphasis, in terms of page design, should be placed on making web pages printer-friendly?

Most of my pages are 760 wide--Although I want the pages to be printable, I hate to lose screen space for the sake of possible printing and I am not sure what the best remedy is--
I'd rather not use the printer-friendly option because that requires an extra click--

I have just reformatted certain pages to 650 or so and removed the side navbar to free up space--

I have two-three tables--per page--The main table is set to autostretch--I think the third possibility regarding printing is to have one table set to 100%--is that right?

So overall I am wondering what the theory of printing web pages is and what rememdy I should take--
Here's the site

http://www.provlib.org/

Thanks--Stephanie

 

[doublehelix]

If you anticipate your pages are going to be printed - and they will be printed if there is a lot of text on them - it is absolutley imperitive that you design keeping the issue of printer width in mind.

Virtually every usability study shows that surfers scan web pages and don't read them in depth (with the exception of e-zines). When surfers discover the content they are looking for they generally print out the pages to be read later.

Here is a fairly good article discussing the issue of writing for the web and how user's read web material differently than printed material:

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/us-writ/?dwzone=usability

 

[funkymonk]

Why NOT have an extra click for a printer friendly version? Once your visitors have found the content they want I don't think they'd mind one more click for a version that won't cut the right side off the page and so losing some vital information. I'm someone who prints off all the tutorials that I find; I wish people would make printer friendly versions available even if there is another click involved. Also, making it a seperate page won't restrict you on your design.... funkymonk B-)

rod@sameplanet.co.uk

http://www.sameplanet.co.uk

[on it's way!]

********************

 

[lmcny]

If you think your pages are going to be printed, there is a way to code page breaks. There is also a way to use XHTML a subset of XML to have the page linked to two style sheets one for on screen viewing and one for printing. If this is something you are interested in let me know and I'll be happy to send you an exampe of the code, of course this will only work in newer browsers not supported in older.

 

[SKTodd]

Imcny, I have been attempting to create a print style sheet which will print the entire contents of a TEXTAREA, not just the 70 colums x 3 rows which appear on the web page. I am about ready to give up. Have any ideas how to set up the print style sheet to do this?

 

[StephanieCC]

lmcny,
I am writing in reference to your post below from March--I am interested in this code as I've tried using the @page rule in CSS and haven't had succcess--thanks . . .

If you think your pages are going to be printed, there is a way to code page breaks. There is also a way to use XHTML a subset of XML to have the page linked to two style sheets one for on screen viewing and one for printing. If this is something you are interested in let me know and I'll be happy to send you an exampe of the code, of course this will only work in newer browsers not supported in older.

 

[Dirtrocker]

Here is a cgi program for setting up a page that the images have been removed.

http://www.onlinearts.net/downloads/vegi_table/for_unix/

This shows it.

http://www.onlinearts.net/workshop/print_view/

Found it today when I was searching for a print program for my site.
cgi-resources.com and hotscripts.com list more, some that cost.
hotscripts.com also lists some PHP programs for making the pages printable with a clickable link.

 

[Dirtrocker]

Here is a cgi program for setting up a page that the images have been removed.

http://www.onlinearts.net/downloads/vegi_table/for_unix/

This shows it.

http://www.onlinearts.net/workshop/print_view/

Found it today when I was searching for a print program for my site. cgi-resources.com and hotscripts.com list more, some that cost. hotscripts.com also lists some PHP programs for making the pages printable with a clickable link.', 'Here is a cgi program for setting up a page that the images have been removed.

Found it today when I was searching for a print program for my site.
cgi-resources.com and hotscripts.com list more, some that cost.
hotscripts.com also lists some PHP programs for making the pages printable with a clickable link