Write for your medium
It’s harder to read on screen
People don’t read on screen in the same way that they read a brochure, magazine, or watch television.
Comparatively, reading on screen is a pig, so we web writers need to make life as painless as possible for our readers.
Printed text just doesn’t translate, so we shouldn’t put brochure copy on screen.
Reading text on-screen is physically difficult
Reading text on a screen is 25% slower than reading text on paper.
Why?
- The resolution of a computer monitor, mobile device or TV screen is much lower than the printed page. Average PC screen resolution is around 96 dots per inch (dpi) compared with average print resolution of 600 dots per inch. Therefore printed text is sharper and easier to read.
- Light is emitted from a screen, whereas it is reflected from a page. Reflected light is less tiring than emitted light.
- It is easier to adjust the distance between the eye and the printed page than the eye and the screen (the only exception is mobile devices). With print media, readers can set the most comfortable focal length easily, adjusting it to changes in page layout and typeface size.