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

[Mitchell Gass]

At 02:28 AM 10/16/2003, Piet Kopka wrote:
>We are thinking about removing the "Print version" buttons from the 
>websites we redesign in the future...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...Do users like the "Print version" 
>buttons and use them so much that it would bother them if this button 
>isn´t there?

When I print from a web site, I always use the Printer-Friendly Version 
option if there is one. The most common reason I print is to get a receipt 
for an online purchase. I like being able to

- remove anything unnecessary, including navigation bars and ads, from what 
I print

- see what will print before I print it

For me, the wait to get the printer-friendly page happens after I turn on 
the printer next to my desk and wait for it to warm up, so a slight delay 
to load the new page isn't a problem.

Don't tell the New York Times, but I use Printer-Friendly Format when 
reading articles on www.nytimes.com, which gets rid of the distracting 
animated ads.

Mitchell Gass
uLab | PDA: Learning from Users | Designing with Users
Berkeley, CA 94707 USA
+1 510 525-6864 voice
+1 510 525-4246 fax
http://www.participatorydesign.com/