Tips and Tricks for Designing Printer Friendly Web PagesCreating web pages that are printer friendly is crucial for ensuring that users can easily print necessary information without any hassle. Many websites overlook the importance of configuring content for printing, often resulting in wasted ink, poorly formatted pages, or missing content. Here are some effective tips and tricks to help you design printer friendly web pages.
1. Use a Print Stylesheet
One of the most efficient ways to create printer-friendly pages is by using a dedicated CSS print stylesheet. This allows you to specifically tailor the appearance of a webpage when printed. Here’s how to implement it:
- Create a separate CSS file for print styles, e.g.,
print.css
. - Link to the print stylesheet in your HTML head using the
media="print"
attribute:
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="print.css" media="print">
- Hide unnecessary elements (like navigation bars, advertisements, or background images) by defining styles in the print stylesheet.
2. Optimize Text and Image Sizes
When designing for print, ensuring that text is legible and images are appropriately sized is essential. Here are some considerations:
- Increase Font Size: Use larger font sizes (at least 12pt) for better readability.
- Choose Print-Friendly Fonts: Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica tend to print better than complex serif fonts.
- Image Resolution: Ensure images are high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) to look good on paper, but consider providing an option to reduce their size to minimize ink usage.
3. Avoid Background Colors and Images
While background colors and images may enhance the visual appeal of a webpage, they do not translate well to paper. Most printers do not print background colors by default, leading to an unprofessional appearance. To make your pages truly printer-friendly:
- Set background colors to white in your print stylesheet.
- Remove background images or replace them with text descriptions to maintain clarity.
4. Structure Content for Readability
Content layout significantly impacts the readability of printed pages. Follow these guidelines:
- Use Headings and Subheadings: Clearly define sections of your content with headings to enhance organization.
- Short Paragraphs: Keep paragraphs concise to improve readability.
- Bullet Points and Lists: Use bullet points or numbered lists as they are easier to skim.
5. Add Print-Specific Functionality
Consider incorporating features that make printing easier for users:
- Print Button: Add a print button that opens the print dialog box, enabling users to print directly from your page. This can be done with a simple JavaScript snippet:
function printPage() { window.print(); }
- Print Preview: Allow users to preview how the printed page will look before printing.
6. Test Print Quality
Before finalizing your web design, it’s essential to test how it appears when printed. Use a variety of printers to ensure quality and consistency. Check for:
- Missing content
- Incorrect alignments
- Font readability
7. Limit Page Breaks
Excessive page breaks can disrupt the flow of information and lead to incomplete prints. You can manage page breaks with CSS:
- Use the
page-break-inside: avoid;
property for elements that should not break mid-printed page. - Control breaks with
page-break-after
orpage-break-before
properties for section breaks.
Conclusion
Designing printer friendly web pages may require some extra effort, but the benefits in user satisfaction and professionalism are significant. By utilizing print stylesheets, optimizing content layout, and ensuring a clean, focused design, you can provide a seamless printing experience. Remember to test your designs thoroughly to ensure they are functional, attractive, and ready to print.
Implementing these tips not only enhances the usability of your website but also empowers your audience to access information in the way they prefer. With thoughtful design, you can make your web content truly printer friendly.