Avoiding the Traps of Big Graphics on Small Screens

Last time: the sneaky traps of designing big graphics on small screens.

This time: what to do about it.

Do any one of these five, and the situation will improve significantly. Do them all, and you’ll fix it.

1. Print It Out. Actual Size. In Color.
Get out of the screen as early as possible. Even partial printouts reveal scale and legibility issues quickly. Frequent, disposable prints are more valuable than infrequent, precious proofs.

2. Use Actual Mounting Heights and Angles
A graphic’s effectiveness depends on where and how it is seen. Tape-ups at the wrong height or angle will give you false confidence. Mount your test prints just like the final graphic will appear, and view them as a visitor would — from the same distance.

3. Try to Simulate Lighting, Finishes, and Reflection
Backlit laptop screens hide visual contrast problems. Real lighting includes shadows and uneven brightness. Simulate glass and glare in your tests whenever possible to expose contrast loss and reflections.

4. Then Get Real-Materials Printed Samples Soon
Paper is quick. But real materials matter. Ink absorption, texture, and color shift behave differently with actual materials in the real world. Early full-scale, real-materials prototypes are a worthwhile investment.

5. Show Them to the Whole Team
Scale affects everyone: designers, curators, fabricators, and educators. Early collective reviews prevent late surprises.

Here’s the thing:

When scale is tested early, physically, and collectively, big graphics stop failing late. Instead, they just … work.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Proof. A printed sample of graphics, produced before production begins, to verify scale, color, and materials. Because proofs are provided by the printing company, this also verifies that they have the correct, final production files.

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