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Here at Gloss Creative Media, we often have clients asking us about the importance of ‘above the fold’ when it comes to website design. The prevailing fear of the majority of our clients is that visitors to their brand new website might miss vital information if it is not included above the magical fold. Apparently, if people are forced to scroll beyond the first screen, then they are doomed to miss the information altogether.

While the ‘above the fold’ mentality is a valid, and very popular, concern when it comes to web design, it is one that is often misunderstood. As a result, adhering too strictly to the ‘above the fold’ school of thought can lead to out-dated websites that are difficult for your visitors to use.

So, today we thought we’d clear up the ‘above the fold’ debate, once and for all. You never know, the success of your next website might just depend upon it.

What does ‘above the fold’ mean?

Traditionally speaking, the term ‘above the fold’ actually originated from newspapers. It was used to encapsulate everything that was found in the top half of the front page of a newspaper. It was the most highly sought-after piece of real estate in any newspaper, and was the section that sold a newspaper. So, it had to include all the biggest stories, the sauciest tales, and the most important information for that particular day.

So, the concept is applied similarly to website design. In web design, ‘above the fold’ refers to the portion of the website homepage that a visitor sees when they first land on your site. It is everything that they can see, without having to scroll down even one teeny tiny bit.

Does the fold really impact website design?

According to research undertaken by Nielsen, a mere 20% of website visitors actually read below the fold. However, this information isn’t actually groundbreaking. In fact, as early as the 1950s, David Ogilvy professed very similar statistics: only one in five people ever make it through the headline. And that was way before the internet, and the ‘above the fold’ concept, were even invented. The behavioural patterns of human beings are not magically going to change overnight.

According to KiSSMetrics, the fold (and the information that is placed above or below it) actually has no bearing whatsoever on conversion rates. Rather, it is all about the motivation levels of your website visitor. It is all about how convinced, how motivated they are to continue scrolling, to click through to wherever you want them to. The fold has little to do with it.

So, what should always be included above the fold (if anything)?

While the ‘above the fold’ concept is not as important as it once was, there are still a few conventions that abound, and a very important elements to make sure that you always include in the top half of your website, particularly on your homepage and any landing pages.

First and foremost, you want your website visitors to know whose website they are on, and what it is that your company actually does. A lot of companies do this by including their logo in the top left-hand corner of every page, along with some sort of a tagline. The logo is generally hyperlinked, and when clicked on, redirects users back to the website homepage. So, not only is a logo important in terms of providing information, but it can also be used as a vital navigational tool.

While we’re on the topic of navigation, it is important that you make it easy for visitors to navigate around your website. Again, the convention is that the navigation bar will be included ‘above the fold’ and towards the top of the page. This is the same for any ‘Search’ field or functionality.

You’ll also want people to be able to contact you easily. So, make sure there is a ‘Contact Us’ page in your main navigation or, at the very least, a phone number or email address included ‘above the fold’.

Lastly, you want your website visitors to be able see your most important piece of information quickly and easily, before they click away to the page that they’re actually looking for. So, if you’re having a sale, or have recently won an award, or have a big event coming up, or you’ve launched a new product, then display this prominently ‘above the fold’ on your homepage. While not all of your visitors will pay attention, you’ll capture the interest of some.

And that’s it. Anything more is clutter. Anything more will discourage visitors and will discourage scrolling. Anything more and your website will become quite hostile, particularly for users on mobile devices.

In fact, on average, 30% of people who are accessing websites these days are doing so via mobile devices. And, this figure is only expected to increase over the next few years. On all of these devices, there is no ‘above the fold’. It changes every single time, making the whole ‘above the fold’ concept completely irrelevant.

A print proof is basically a one-off sample of your printing job. It is the very first print of your job, and the closest approximation to the finished product that a printer can achieve. While a print proof will never be exact (particularly when it comes to colour matching), it will be detailed enough to give you one last chance to check everything is correct (and catch any errors) before your file is sent to the printing presses.

If you haven’t had any proofing experience, checking a print proof can seem daunting, particularly if you’re approving a hundred-page document. But, with our advice below, you can hone your proofing skills, and will be much more able to spot errors and inconsistencies.

1. Find a Quiet Space

Everyone is different, and has different habits when it comes to proofing, but we suggest that you grab a cup of coffee and find somewhere quiet. Proofing requires quite a bit of concentration, and can be difficult to do with ringing phone and dinging email alerts. Make sure you take a print-out, or an electronic copy of your print-ready PDF to check your print proof against. Without a copy of the print-ready artwork, you might not notice that something is actually missing.

2. Double Check Digits and Details

It is always a good idea to call any telephone numbers included in your document, and to type URLs into your browser. Triple checking all these obvious, but easily forgotten, details can save a lot of money on a re-print in a week’s time.

3. Keep in Mind that Colour Can be Tricky

If you have opted for an offset print job, it is important to keep in mind that your print proof will usually not be printed on the same stock earmarked for the final set-up. This is due to extremely expensive set-up costs. As such, it is highly likely that there will be some differences in colour between the proof, and the final product. So, if colour is critical to your document, then it might be a good idea to request either a press check, or an ISO proof. These two options will attract additional charges, but it might save a lot of heartache in the long run.

On the other hand, if your job is of the digital print variety, then the colour in your print proofs will be comprised of what is known as the four-colour process (CMYK). As such, if your job requires spot colour, then you can match it using a Pantone swatch sample. In addition, a print proof can usually be supplied using the same stock earmarked for the final print job, making colour matching a bit more accurate.

Another tip when it comes to colour; make sure that neutral colours are properly balanced. So, pay special attention to whites, greys, and blacks. If they show a significant colour cast (so, if the whites have a yellow or blue tint to them, and the blacks and greys have a brown, green or blue tint to them), then the colour settings on the printer could be out of balance.

It’s also a good idea to check the overall reproduction of colour throughout your document. You can do this by focusing on what are deemed ‘memory’ colours, such as blue skies, green grass, and red tomatoes. These colours can often be the hardest to match, given that we instinctively know what they should look like. Chances are, if you’re happy with the ‘memory’ colours, then you’ll be happy with all the colours.

4. Keep an Eye Out for All the Little Things

There are a variety of little things that you should keep an eye out for when checking a print proof, including:
• Page numbers: make sure all the pages are ordered sequentially.
• Page sequencing: make sure that your pages are laid out in the correct order, and that you know what the end product will look like. For instance, if you don’t like printing on the inside back cover of documents, then make sure there is a blank white page inserted.
• Headlines: while you might be able to get away with a small typo in body text, spelling mistakes and typos in headlines are glaringly obvious. So, triple check all your headlines and sub-headings.
• Photos: make sure that all your images are positioned, scaled, and cropped correctly. There’s nothing worse than finding you’ve chopped someone’s head off on page two. Also, make sure that all your images are of a high enough resolution for their size; if any images appear blurry, then it is likely that they are too low in resolution.
• Special printing effects: if you have decided to embellish your print job with spot varnish, embossing, or coatings, then make sure these effects are clearly indicated.
• Bleed and trim: check that the trim and bleed marks on each page are where they should be. Otherwise, you might end up with vital content being cropped out on the final compilation.
• Copy: read through your copy carefully, keeping an eye out for typos and spelling mistakes. This is the last chance you’ll have for any corrections.

5. Enlist a Fresh Pair of Eyes

After looking at the same document time and time again, you tend to start seeing what your mind’s eye thinks is on the page, rather than what is actually on the page. When you know what is coming next, you are more likely to skim over misspelt words or fail to notice missing words. So, it’s always a good idea to ask someone who has never seen the document to give it one last check once you’re finished with it.

6. Clearly Convey and Check Corrections

If you come across anything that you aren’t happy with in your print proof, make sure that you clearly communicate this to your printing company. Clearly circle every flaw, typo, spelling mistake, colour issue, and anything else that seems wrong. If you want quite a few corrections made, it might even be worth arranging for a second proof. Whether your second proof is of the hard-copy or electronic kind, make sure that you triple check that all your changes have made.