RWG - Graphic Elements in Print Media and Online Media (Lesson)

 

Graphic Elements in Print Media and Online Media Lesson

Print Media vs Online Media

Where would you look for a job ad today? Many of you might say from social media, a company’s website, or an online job recruiting webpage. Did you know that job ads are also posted in newspapers? Like online websites and social media pages, news and information can be found in print media. As you know, media is a means of mass communication that disseminates news and information using different channels such as broadcasting, newspapers, and the Internet. It is an important outlet of information that impacts our lives every day. On one hand, it has actively become a part of our communication process. On the other hand, media has shaped our perception of reality by the information and images we receive. Overall, media provides the most relevant and updated information both locally and from around the world.

Years ago, print media such as newspapers and magazines were the main source of circulating news and information. However, today online media is taking over that role. Online media is giving print media competition as our lives are frequently online today. Print media is not as easily accessible as online media because it is limited to certain areas and is usually not free. Also, print media cannot provide the various adaptations to reach viewers with diverse disabilities as online media can. Online media can provide transcripts and audio as well as change font sizes and provide other tools to help meet the needs of those with disabilities.

Although print media and online media are complete opposites, their purpose is the same -- which is to inform.

Print Design vs Digital Design

Both print and online media can produce the same information, yet the channel in which they communicate that information is not the same. Print design is visual content and communication that is geared toward physical publications such as newspapers, flyers, and pamphlets. The actual design can be done on the web; however, the final product is always printed. Digital design is designed on the web and published on a digital platform. Both print and digital design involve factors such as color, layout, accessibility, interaction, fonts, and usability. The similarity is that they are both functioning to create visual communication and digital content that share information, products, or services.

Take a look at the figure below to see what digital and print designers create.

Graphic Elements in Print Media and Digital Media

There are several differences between the design elements in print and digital media such as the interaction, usability, and color profiles. People interact with print media differently than digital media. For example, most people will read a book thoroughly; however, when it comes to reading an entire webpage, viewers tend to skim through and pick and choose what they want to read. Keep in mind, visual quality is important in both print and digital design. Some print products such as a book or novel contain more text; therefore, there are fewer elements of design and graphics. Yet print products, such as a brochure, have more graphics and less text but lack interactive elements such as animation and links that you might see on a webpage. Interactive elements on a webpage can steer viewers to the main ideas instead of having them read through the entire webpage. Unlike print media, webpages can have input boxes, radio buttons, and icons for users to fill out information or provide input such as reviews. 

The main colors used in print media are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK colors). HEX and RGB colors are the color profiles used for digital media. These color values have a much larger spectrum of colors that can be applied on a webpage and use the permutation of the colors red, green, and blue. Hundreds of different web colors can be produced. When comparing a graphic design on print media with the same design on a webpage, you will notice a slight difference in colors.

Learning Spot…More HTML Tags

In this learning spot, you will learn how to apply HTML web safe colors to multiple sections with text on a webpage.

Adding Background Colors to Multiple Sections Video

Adding Background Colors to Multiple Sections Video Transcript Links to an external site.

 IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS