[Sigia-l] Transparent CSS-styled print versions or "Print version" button?

[Austin Govella]

> We are thinking about removing the "Print version" buttons from the 
> websites we redesign in the future.
> ....
> Another method would be to make a special print style sheet which the 
> browser calls when the user is using the browsers build in print 
> function.
> ....
> Drawback could be, that this function is used very rare on todays 
> websites and the users might be surprised by what comes out of their 
> printers.
>
> My questions are: Is the surprise good for enough users to wipe  away 
> that there is a surprise at all.

I've been wrestling with the same issue. My take, to eliminate 
surprise, is to keep the 'print version' button, but have it switch the 
style sheets from the web version to the screen version.

Though I agree with avoiding surprise, I've been coming across print 
style sheets more often, and though I am always surprised, it's a 
pleasant surprise.

Though, I'm not sure if my mother would be pleasantly surprised, or she 
would think something was broken.

--
Austin