Difference Between Print design and Web design

Print and Web designs have a lot in common, but there are some important variations that range from workflow and file formats to tools and terminology. Designing something for Print or for the Web plays a huge role in Planning, Executing, and Completing the Project. There are many differences between Print Design and Web Design, but one thing that remains constant is the Design Principles or Design Standards.

Print design vs. Web design

What is Print Design

Print Design is a subcategory of graphic design where the designs are first created digitally whose end-product is in a digital form (.psd, .tif, .indd, etc.) which then gets printed onto a material, such as paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, ceramics, etc. Print design is mostly used for branding and marketing purposes focused on creating designs that are intended to be printed out. The goal of print design is to use visual graphics to communicate a specific message to viewers. Print Design might seem rare to us but when we will look closely we will realize that we are encircled by print designs every day. Traditional business marketing still relies on print media to spread awareness of their brand.

These are some of the types of Print Design to be aware of:

• Business cards
• Billboards
• Book covers and interiors
• Magazines and newspapers
• Greeting cards and invitations
• Calendars
• Posters
• Menus

What is Web Design

Web Design is the process of planning and building the content and elements to access and share online. It includes creating structure and layout, inserting images, selecting and adding colors, fonts and graphics. Web Design deals with overall functionality about how the website works and includes the Design of the User Interface on web and mobile apps. Web design is not only about the graphics and attractiveness on the site, but also the overall aspect of the webpage, the User Experience, Usability and Accessibility. Designing a website can take a long time, often a longer process than print design, because of crucial detailing and also the website has more number of pages.

Some of the different types of web design include:

• Business
• Ecommerce
• Blogs/News
• Portfolio
• Landing Page
• Wiki/Database
• Forum
• Event

Let’s have a look on some Technical Consideration Print Design vs Web Design

Features	Print Design	Web Design
Layout/Space	Huge canvas to work with but limited to the printing surface	Smaller canvas but flexible to organize information on multiple device surface
Dimension	Print Designs are 2-Dimensional	Web Designs are 1 or N-Dimensional
Navigation	It has Page-Turning Navigation	It has Scrolling navigation
Colors	The color model used in Print Design is CMYK	The color model used in Web Design is RGB
Measurement Units	Resolution taken in Print Design is 300 DPI (Dots per inch)	Resolution taken in Web Design is 72 PPI (Pixels per inch)
Interactivity	Print design is pretty much set once it goes to press and hence it is static in nature.	Digital design is flexible. We can make multiple changes at anytime and thus Web Designs are Interactive.
Font	Font Style used in Print Design is Serif	Font Style used in Web Design is mostly Sans Serif
Distribution	The Distribution of Print Products mostly happens Locally	The Distribution of Digital Products are showcased Globally
Placement	Placement of Print Designs are fixed.	These are responsive web designs, which works on multiple screen sizes.
File Type	Files Type for Print Design is TIFF (High Image Quality and Large File Size	File Type for Web Designs are GIF (For animation and transparent effect) SVG (Vector to scale up or down the size)
Medium (Where to be Used)	Mediums where Print Designs are used are: Logo, Brochure, Business Card, Postcard, Billboard, Magazine/Newspaper, Packaging, Flyer Design	Mediums where Web Designs are used are: Logo, Newsletter, Emai Signature, Poster/Banner, eBooks, Website, Social Media, Mobile App

Note: EPS, JPEG, PNG, PDF are the file formats which are supported in both Print Design as well as Web Design.

Conclusion

Both Print Design and Web Designs possess unique characteristics that set them apart. If you’re trying to promote a local business, then print ads will probably be more effective. On the other hand, if you’re promoting a national brand, then the internet could be a better option. Understanding the strengths of each medium allows designers to create impactful and effective experiences that fulfill the specific demands and preferences of the target audience.