To PDF Publishers: Why landscape?

[DaveStebbins]

I have a question about all this: if you buy a PDF and print it all out, is it still worth it for you? Are people printing them out at work, where it means nothing to them in extra expenses, or are there a lot more toner printers out there than I had expected?

Could be. I got my laser printer for $99 over a year ago and am never going back. Heck, even color lasers with great-looking output are down under $400, sometimes even down to $300. If I had the extra income, I'd be getting one of those too.

For the first part of your quastion, heck yeah it's worth it. I don't always print longer PDFs, but short ones are a no-brainer for me. I print them two-up and duplex, so I get four PDF pages per sheet of paper. This makes them easy to read and light enough for easy filing or transport.

-Dave

 

[PosterBoy]

RPGObjects does 2 versions: landscape version that is graphic intense and a portrait version that is not for printing.

I think landscape is much easier to read on a computer screen. If I had to do only one, I would do portrait for printing.

But if you know your layout program (I use In Design), doing two versions shouldn't be too much work. It normally only takes me about 30 minutes to convert my landscape to portrait. It's not like you have to actually do layout 2 times.

 

[D_Sinclair]

RPGObjects does 2 versions: landscape version that is graphic intense and a portrait version that is not for printing.

Oh, so the portrait version is not for printing. So that's why the office printer mangled many of the RPGObjects products I've tried printing. I figured it was due to that crummy Epson printer, but now the real trtuh comes out!



Seriously, I know you meant a "graphics light portrait version for printing", but I just couldn't resist...

 

[Bloodstone Press]

I switched to landscape for onscreen viewing and a plain text protrait version for printing several months ago afetr buying a PDF from another publisher that was laid out like that, and I liked it.

Reading a landscape format onscreen is a lot better than a portrait format, IMO.

 

[DSC-EricPrice]

I know I personally love landscape for reading them online, but admit that some people just cant seem to avoid printing them out (for any number of good reasons). We included both layouts when we did Guardians of the Underhalls, and quite a few other publishers seem to do the same thing.

 

[Steve Conan Trustrum]

I have a question about all this: if you buy a PDF and print it all out, is it still worth it for you? Are people printing them out at work, where it means nothing to them in extra expenses, or are there a lot more toner printers out there than I had expected?

I'll print it out if I can't get a hardcopy of it anywhere else. If it's available in POD, I'll get that as well. And no way would I print any gaming materials out at work! For Shame!

*cough*