Printability test
From SiteRay wiki
| SiteRay Test | |
|---|---|
| First appeared: | Sitescore 1.0 |
| Applies to: | All versions |
| Type: | Individual test |
| Scored: | Always |
What does it do?
Tests whether or not pages are designed to be printed.
Why is it important?
One of the more common 'exit strategies' for someone using a website is to print the desired content the have found before leaving. Many webpages don't print well, or at all, potentially costing a website a prospect or sale.
Example results
Note that in this example web addresses have been concealed.
How is it measured?
Sitescore looks for code which says how to handle this webpage when it is being printed (specifically, CSS styles for print). The score is based on the proportion of pages which do this, with a perfect score of 10 meaning all pages have print styles defined.
Technical explanation
Sitescore looks for any applied CSS styles for the media type print. In other words, those styles must:
- Be defined.
- Actually be used by at least one part of the current page.
The assumption is that if this is the case, there has been intent to make the page printable. It is of course not possible to check (through automated means) whether or not the page actually looks respectable as a result.
Common problems
- My pages print fine, but Sitescore disagrees - These pages may be using a very old approach to printable webpages, which is no longer recommended or necessary since the widespread adoption of CSS (i.e. since around 2001). They won't necessarily print consistently or at all modern or future browsers.
- My pages don’t print well, but Sitescore disagrees - Sitescore can't evaluate how well designed a page is for printing like a human being can (e.g. the header looks ugly). It can only detect that some attempt has been made to make the page work when it is being printed, which is nearly always enough.
- I have separate print versions of my pages - These are a vestige of an older time when separate print versions of pages were necessary. Modern webpages do not require separate print versions – it is possible to make a webpage print correctly (even will a different design) when printed automatically. That is what Sitescore is testing for.
How to improve this score
Define a print stylesheet (or stylesheets) for your website, and apply them to your pages. The amount of work required is usually quite small, assuming the website is already making good use of stylesheets. Typically, you might want to:
- Remove superfluous page elements, such as search panels and navigation.
- Where appropriate, display an alternative page header and footer.
- Limit the width of the page to fit the printed page.
- Remove any backgrounds, using black text on white.
- Make headings appropriate sizes and colours.
- Conceal links (e.g. remove their underline and colours).
How to use this test effectively
If this test is reporting a low score, a web designer should take a look at what would be involved in adding print styles to the existing website. Often these are very straightforward (see “How to improve this score”) – changing one or two files can sometimes be enough for websites with hundreds of pages. Good scores that are less than perfect (e.g. 8/10) usually indicate a few pages are not fully printable. In some cases this may be acceptable, otherwise someone should drill down into the test for details and tackle these pages in turn.
