Comments on: Where is the Print Button? http://ntschutta.com/jat/2005/12/07/where-is-the-print-button/ Just A Thought...on Ajax, usability, software development and anything else that catches my fancy. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:22:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Nate http://ntschutta.com/jat/2005/12/07/where-is-the-print-button/#comment-63 Nate Fri, 09 Dec 2005 01:48:45 +0000 http://ntschutta.com/jat/2005/12/07/where-is-the-print-button/#comment-63 Jared, Thanks for the comment - I've been a big fan of your work for some time now, honored that you read this! Your last point is so poignant - why do we need the darn print buttons anyway? The browser already has that function! To use a crude analogy, my DVD player already has a play button - I don't expect every DVD I buy to have it's own play mechanism. Along the same lines, if you user can't figure out how to play a DVD, the answer isn't a longer manual... Frankly, when I come upon a new site, it does take me a while to find the print option; It's not more than a few seconds (usually), but it just drives me nuts that I have to search for it in the first place. Truthfully, on a given site, users will find the print button. However, I don't use just one site - I consume dozens and dozens. I'm not so concerned about whether the link/button says Print or Print Page but I would like to see some consistency in location. Is it the biggest issue in HCI today? Absolutely not - but it's just annoying enough for me to write about! Thanks again for the comment! Jared,

Thanks for the comment - I’ve been a big fan of your work for some time now, honored that you read this! Your last point is so poignant - why do we need the darn print buttons anyway? The browser already has that function! To use a crude analogy, my DVD player already has a play button - I don’t expect every DVD I buy to have it’s own play mechanism. Along the same lines, if you user can’t figure out how to play a DVD, the answer isn’t a longer manual…

Frankly, when I come upon a new site, it does take me a while to find the print option; It’s not more than a few seconds (usually), but it just drives me nuts that I have to search for it in the first place. Truthfully, on a given site, users will find the print button. However, I don’t use just one site - I consume dozens and dozens. I’m not so concerned about whether the link/button says Print or Print Page but I would like to see some consistency in location. Is it the biggest issue in HCI today? Absolutely not - but it’s just annoying enough for me to write about! Thanks again for the comment!

]]> By: Jared Spool http://ntschutta.com/jat/2005/12/07/where-is-the-print-button/#comment-59 Jared Spool Thu, 08 Dec 2005 04:49:23 +0000 http://ntschutta.com/jat/2005/12/07/where-is-the-print-button/#comment-59 Good questions. There's two issues here. One is the ease of which you (or anyone else coming to the site) can find the print function <i>when you want it</i>. The other is whether it's named consistently or placed consistently on the page. The latter won't guarantee the problem is solved. The former will. It's possible that the first issue could be helped by using consistent imagery/naming and a consistent location placement. However, after studying this problem for a long time, I've come to the belief that those things don't help as much as we think. The real question is: if we brought a hundred users to each of these sites, how many would have trouble finding the print feature? If none of them ever have trouble, should we do something about the inconsistency? What I want to know is why do we have to have a button on the site to make something printable? Isn't that fixing a symptom? Wouldn't it just be better to have the browser's print button and menu option produce a page that looks great on paper? Good questions.

There’s two issues here. One is the ease of which you (or anyone else coming to the site) can find the print function when you want it. The other is whether it’s named consistently or placed consistently on the page.

The latter won’t guarantee the problem is solved. The former will.

It’s possible that the first issue could be helped by using consistent imagery/naming and a consistent location placement. However, after studying this problem for a long time, I’ve come to the belief that those things don’t help as much as we think.

The real question is: if we brought a hundred users to each of these sites, how many would have trouble finding the print feature? If none of them ever have trouble, should we do something about the inconsistency?

What I want to know is why do we have to have a button on the site to make something printable? Isn’t that fixing a symptom? Wouldn’t it just be better to have the browser’s print button and menu option produce a page that looks great on paper?

]]>