Design comes in all shapes and categories. Web and print design are the most commercial aspects used in the media and entertainment industry. Other aspects like product design are bent towards the manufacturing industry rather than the media. The media also utilises design elements in cinematography, art, sculpture, game design, cartoons, and comics.

Focusing on the differences between web and print design, one of the foremost and crucial aspects is the kind of work a designer can expect to do. A print designer is expected to work on magazine advertisements and layouts, product design and packaging, logo design, business cards and stationery, and so on. A designer working on the web will focus on standard HTML websites, flash websites, emails, e-newsletters, banner advertising, and so on. The basic difference being with print design, the finished product is something you can hold in your hands whereas with web design, your piece will be viewed on a computer display.

One of the common elements of web and print design are clear and effective layouts. The usage of space and negative space plays a vital role in both aspects of design. The measures of the space utilised in each are different – print uses inches to measure the final product which can be a business card to a highway billboard whereas web designers use pixels to design websites. The challenge for web designers is to create web pages that look the best on all monitors sizes and resolutions.

Another aspect to consider is the use of media — static and dynamic. For example, a menu in a restaurant uses static imagery, item lists, and prices. Restaurant web design however can be dynamic with links leading to further content, flash animation and page content which is essentially static. Hotel web design is the same except that the content is dynamic in the sense that users can use websites to reserve rooms before they travel. Hotels also use a variety of brochures which are the forte of print design.

Colour is a tricky subject to deal with in both web and print design. In print, the colours on screen need to match the colours in the final output. Colour palettes and codes are very handy in print design. A “proof” can ensure that you get the desired results in print.

In web design, colours change from monitor to monitor and also with brightness and contrast settings. These are things to take into consideration – RGB shades are used for the web whereas print uses the CMYK palette.

One of the final aspects to consider is the career aspect. Print designers can expect to start as visualisers, and advance to become art directors at ad firms, package designers for manufacturing companies, or even designers at t-shirt companies. Web designers typically work in online marketing firms or technology firms.

Summary

While web and print design are essentially similar aspects of graphic design, their use of tools and their careers paths are very different. Each is a specialisation that requires skill, training and experience. In today’s job market – a ubiquitous designer with experience in both is in demand everywhere. As a freelancer, being able to offer both can be a distinct advantage with the added quality of having an impressive portfolio.