Apples and Oranges: Web vs Print

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While it's true that you can turn a printed page into a graphic - an exact copy - and post it online anyone viewing with:
  • "images off" will simply see a blank screen,
  • a Screen Reader will get no information, and
  • a slow connection will likely exit your site before the image downloads.
Also, Search Engine/Directory "spiders" can't read (and therefore categorize) an image.

There's no way of knowing the capabilities of your audience's equipment so to be effective your web page must follow web standards.

First, consider the differences of Web vs Print:

1.) Light: A blank piece of paper is white, and to see writing you shine a light on the page. An empty monitor screen is black, and to see anything you turn on the machine which shines light from the back to the front. Each type of lighting affects your eyes differently.

2.) Source: The content on your piece of paper can be typed, printed, lithographed, handwritten, drawn, even fingerpainted! in lines, circles, polygons, squiggles, etc.., but everything you see on a monitor is composed of tiny squares called pixels. The result is that round shapes, when magnified, look "jaggy".

3.) Colour: Printed colour varies based on the amount of ink used and the paper's ability to absorb the ink. Colour on the Web varies based on the operating system used (Windows or Mac), the type of monitor (LCD or CRT), the browser, the video card, and even the type of device (desktop, laptop, or handhelds).

4.) Font: Printed fonts vary because some fonts work better than others on particular paper types. However, every page printed off on a specific print-run is identical. On the Web the font must exist on the viewer's machine, not the designer's, in order to be seen. Otherwise the viewer's browser will pick it's own substitute.

5.) Lettering: On a printed page the designer controls the lettering using spacing, kerning, and leading. On the Web those same letters are controlled by the browser's specs and the viewer's overriding "preferred settings".

6.) Layout: Printed documents can be formatted with Word Processing programmes or a designer's eye to align elements. Web documents can use Cascading Style Sheets to control margins, etc.., but what shows up on the viewer's monitor is subject to his web browser's ability to interpret that styling. The result of using such workarounds as tables-for-alignment will vary from machine to machine.

Instead of trying to force web pages to render like print take advantage of the inherent capabilities available with online presentation:
  • Update frequently to keep content current,
  • hyperlink,
  • optimize all graphics and use ALT tags, and
  • enhance (where relevant) with dynamic effects like changing colours, document effects, and sounds.

By following web standards you will provide the greatest possible conformity and accessibility, and will have done your best to deliver your content to all of your viewers.