Whether graphic design is part of your job or your hobby, knowing the difference between digital and print design is important. Imagine you’re designing a printed poster for an upcoming event – the process, design features and your overall approach will differ from how you design a digital post on social media.

From developing your understanding of the different mediums to helping ensure you make the right decisions for each project, this helpful Adobe Express guide can help you uncover the nuances between print and digital design.

Find out how to embrace the differences to enhance your own work.

What is digital design?

Digital design is used to create visual content for any type of digital media. It covers a range of design frameworks, from web design to graphic design, user interface (UI) or user experience (UX) design, and motion graphics.

Essentially, it’s used to create any assets that appear on electronic screens or devices like computers, mobile phones, billboards and tablets – all of which are staples in modern day life.

Here are some examples of the type of media that may require a digital design:

• Websites and blogs
• Digital advertisements, such as digital billboards
• Social media assets
• Apps
• eBooks.

What is print design?

Print design involves the creation of digital files made for physical media. In most cases, this kind of design is still conducted on a computer, tablet or laptop. It’s then printed onto materials, such as paper, cardboard, plastic or ceramic, to produce the finished design.

When designing for print, designers have to consider physical factors such as the scale, colour mode, resolution and the type of paper or material used.

Examples of print design content include:

• Magazines
• Brochures
• Flyers and posters
• Books
• Newspapers
• Business cards
• Non-digital billboards
• Packaging.

For businesses, print design is primarily used for brand awareness and marketing.

8 differences between digital design vs print design.

Although both digital design and print design require skill, technical expertise, and creativity, there are nuances between the two that all designers should bear in mind. These include:

Medium.

When it comes to designing for print media, you must work with the physical finished product in mind. This means thinking about factors like the paper size, texture, weight and colour. You’ll also need to consider aspects like the print’s required margins and bleed areas.

Meanwhile, digital design must be adaptable to different screen sizes so users can digest information whether they’re on their tablet, laptop or smartphone.

Resolution.

For print design, a higher resolution is needed than with digital design as this ensures the final product is sharp and clear in person, not just on the screen. When creating digital designs, you’ll need to consider the resolution of the different devices users will view the content on. You’ll also need to prioritise interactivity for digital design. For instance, you might decide to include features like animations and clickable links – which aren’t available in print.

Colour.

Digital screens require an RGB (Red, Green, Blue) colour mode, which is made up of the primary colours of light. These hues are blended to create an arrangement of colours.

On the other hand, print design uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) and printers use ink or toner to layer these four colours and produce different shades. So, if you’re making designs for both print and digital, you’ll need to think about the different colour modes and how they might impact the colour consistency of your design.

Accessibility.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability.

Fortunately, digital design can utilise a variety of accessibility features to ensure content is accessible for all users. This includes things like closed captions for videos and alternative navigation controls.

Steps can also be taken in print designing to improve accessibility, but not to the same scale as there is with digital design. For example, you can focus on using simple, large fonts and bold or semi-bold weights, while also paying attention to colour contrasts and how these can impact readability. You might also want to support your printed designs with a braille or audio transcription.

Fonts and typography.

There are some fonts that are better suited to print than digital, and vice versa. There tends to be more flexibility in print design in terms of font selection, but Serif fonts like Times New Roman or Garamond are usually preferred.

Meanwhile, for digital, where fonts prioritise readability on screens, Sans-serif fonts like Arial and Helvetica are typically best.

Also, standard font sizes for print are generally between 10 – 12 points, where for digital design it ranges from 15 – 25 pixels.

Call-to-action (CTA).

CTAs in digital content usually take the form of clickable buttons, links and forms – making it easy for users to convert. However, in print media the CTAs usually require more action and effort from audiences, like calling a telephone number or visiting a website. This means that print designers must be more creative with CTAs and try to make tasks easier for audiences, such as using QR codes or augmented reality (AR).

File format.

Printed content and digital media require different file formats. While printed media usually uses PDF, EPS, and AI file formats, digital content use JPG, PNG, and GIF file formats. It’s important to choose the right file format for your type of design, as this helps to ensure it’s fit for purpose and of optimum quality.

Production process.

The production process for print and digital design differs in that print designs are sent to a printer for physical creation, meanwhile digital designs can be published online with a simple click. Because of this, print design typically requires more work in the pre-production stage – including tasks like physical proofing and colour correction – to ensure that no mistakes are made on the final print.

Editable print and digital design templates from Adobe Express.

How can Adobe Express help you design for print and digital?

Adobe Express can help you create excellent designs, whether you’re focusing on digital or print. Innovative tools make it easy to produce high-quality content for whatever medium you choose.

Here’s how Adobe Express can help:

1. Make the most of free templates for both digital and print designs.

Use free templates to make the design process simple and more convenient. Choose from a vast collection of editable templates, perfect for both digital and print projects.

2. Set your colour scheme and fonts.

Create exciting colour palettes that suit your print or digital design with the free custom colour palette creator. It’s easy to use and can help to bring your designs to life.

3. Apply your branding in just one click.

Ensure all your designs, whether digital or print, are on-brand with our handy one-click apply brand tool. You can build your brand identity into the tool to stand out from the competition.

4. Get your designs printed and delivered direct to your door.

Ready to print your designs? Take advantage of the Adobe Express printing service and print custom designs in the form of posters, cards, invitations, t-shirts and more.

5. Share your designs and collaborate.

Share your draft designs with colleagues before you publish or send to print using the share and collaborate features. Ensure everyone’s on the same page and avoid mistakes before the final launch.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

Is print or digital better?

Whether print or digital media is better for you will depend on the intended design, channel and audience of the piece of work. Both options have their own benefits. For example, you might prefer a digital design to reach a wider audience, whereas print marketing assets might work well for attracting a local audience.

Is digital design the same as UX design?

No, UX design is a subset of digital design that focuses on the user interface (UI) and experience. In contrast, digital design deals with the overall design and strategy of digital content.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.