Print to Web Conversion
Print to Web Conversion
The university spends millions of dollars every year producing printed materials, and many pieces could function just as effectively on the web for little or no cost. The objective of this program is to reduce the costs associated with printing and postage – without compromising communications. The following guidelines will help you identify publications that are suited for conversion, and provide recommendations for how to proceed.
How to decide if a printed piece should be converted
- Audience: Is your reader used to receiving information electronically? Some older audiences are not comfortable with technology, and/or do not have access to computers. Others, especially younger and professional audiences, often prefer electronic communication. With few exceptions, any publication that serves an on-campus audience can be effectively converted to an online format. If your audience is on campus and/or is comfortable with electronic communication, you should consider conversion.
- Content: Does the piece contain basic text and photography, or does it require high quality photos and exacting representations of color, such as an art brochure? If it does not require high reproduction quality, conversion is indicated.
- Delivery: Are there special considerations for how and where the content must be conveyed? For example, printed materials make sense in environments where information must be distributed by hand or from racks, such as trade shows, fairs, conventions and welcome centers. Development Officers may also have the need for printed rather than electronic media. If the piece doesn't need to be distributed by hand or in racks, consider conversion.
Examples of publications that are normally good candidates for conversion:
- Newsletters
- Course Packs
- Syllabi
- Flyers
- Holiday Cards
How to proceed with conversion
There are several options for conversion, depending upon the layout and objective of the piece. If you have IT support within your area, this would be a good time to involve them in the process. If you do not have support internally, there are other options listed below that will help you with the conversion.
Electronic formats
Email is a useful medium if you have an identified audience that is willing to receive your publication. While sending to your audience in this format is acceptable, you may encounter challenges such as having your messages filtered as SPAM or ignored by your audience because of its format, layout, or organization.
Text-Only Email
Text-only email can be read by any email reader, and if organized properly, can provide a quick and concise view of the information you wish to provide to your audience. Text-only email is a great option if your publication is a newsletter or flyer that needs to be quickly disseminated or interpreted.
HTML Email
HTML email, or email in a Web-like format, can be read by most email readers, but not by all. HTML email is a good option if your publication is a teaser or newsletter that requires a more rich and enticing experience that engages or compels the reader to act on the message. For more information on converting your printed publication to an HTML email format, please contact the Office of University Relations Publications Group, sharonla@ufl.edu.
Portable Document Format (PDF)
Example: http://www.floridatomorrow.ufl.edu/gallery/e_pubs/UF_Case.pdf
A commonly used format for quickly publishing electronic documents on the Web, the Portable Document Format, or PDF, is useful as a
low-cost option that can be read on almost all computers. It is a high-quality format that reproduces the appearance, but not the feel, of a printed document. If you
wish to simulate the feel of a physical magazine or newspaper, then you may want to consider publishing in a digital magazine format (see below). For more options
about publishing in a PDF format, please contact the Office of University Relations Publications Group, sharonla@ufl.edu.
Digital Magazine
Example: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ufl/impact_2008spring/
Digital
magazines are useful for extending the Portable Document Format experience into something more akin to a printed document that can have pages turned and also zoomed.
In addition to a more magazine-like experience, readers will see the publication as it was intended to be viewed in printed format (i.e. the full page layout). For
more information on converting your printed publication to a digital magazine format, please contact the Office of University Relations Publications Group,
sharonla@ufl.edu.
Web Page
Example: http://www.jou.ufl.edu/Pubs/communigator/
More easily
found and
read
than any
other type of format previously mentioned, a Web page is a great way to present your information. Using standards and best practices , anyone can read your publication using a Web browser, whether
on a handheld device or desktop computer. Additionally, a URL to a Web page sent via email is sometimes more readily accepted and viewed by
email readers than a full story or publication. Beyond being more readily accepted and viewed, log files generated from a web page can be used to determine the
readership and general audience. If you feel your publication is best viewed as a Web page, please consult your college, department, or unit web administrator to learn
more about converting your publication to a Web page. Templates exist to immediately support your
needs.
Blog
Example: http://blog.forensicscience.ufl.edu/
Blogs are useful for publications that require continuous update or change throughout a given period of time, usually a day to a week. In addition to requiring a greater focus than the previous media mentioned, blogs need administrative support from your IT provider ; typically at a cost to either you or the IT department. If you have an audience that appreciates interaction and a constant connection to your content, then please consult the Office of Web Administration for further guidelines and options for creating a blog.
Resources
- Paper and Pixels 101 (PDF)
Bonny Georgia Griffith,
Associate Director for Recruitment Marketing – Ithaca College - Going Paperless:
How to Prepare for and Survive the Transition from Print
to Digital (PDF)
John Lofy
Editor, Michigan Today, University of Michigan - The Editor’s Guide to the Digital
Galaxy: Editing A Paperless, Multimedia “Magazine” (PDF)
Karl Leif Bates
Manager of Research Communications, Duke University News & Communications
