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| How this blog is displayed on a phone. |
I'm sometimes told that the images on my blog are "too small to read". I found this baffling because I make sure the scans are large, at least as big as they were published in print in some cases, so that they look fine on screen.
Then it occured to me that perhaps some people don't know how to enlarge images? Surely not, as that's one of the first things we discover about the Internet, right? You tap or click on a blog image and it'll be shown its full size. Sometimes there's an option to enlarge it even more.
However... an increasing number of people today are only accessing the Internet via their phones, so of course the images are small. Tapping on them will enlarge them but then you'd have to move the image around to read each panel of a comics page.
When I started this blog I assumed everyone would be reading it from a desktop or laptop, so they'd see it as intended. Even an iPad or any other tablet will show the blog as it should be (below) but if you're viewing it on a phone (see pic at the top of this article) you'll see it differently (and won't see any of the sidebar listings for the archive or other links).
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| Viewed on an iPad. |
It's a difficult one really. I appreciate mobile devices are what most people use now, so I wouldn't expect you to buy a desktop PC just to read comics blogs. The alternative would be for me to show each panel as a separate image that filled your phone screen, but that'd be too time consuming for me to set up and would be annoying for readers who are accessing the blog on a desktop or laptop.
For the most part I only tend to show preview panels of upcoming work anyway, so that suits all devices. It's only when I show full pages that makes it inconvenient for people looking at it on a phone.
Just curious though; how do you view this blog? Phone, laptop, tablet, smart TV, or desktop? Please drop a comment below to give me an idea. Thanks.
I rarely use my phone to view anything other than news, emails and social media. Everything else is on the desktop pc. I realise I'm likely in the minority, but I'm old and old school.
ReplyDeleteMostly via laptop.
ReplyDeletesince most phones which you can view the internet on 1) allow zooming and 2) have a small screen anyway, it seams... computer literacy is very much in the decline..
And as I work at a community centre with an online cafe.. yeah.. people are using computers (in the conventional form) less, trying to do more via their phone, finding problems and then needing help to do simple things.. yet also find less and less need to use computers.. Computer side of my job from the 'client' point of view has very much gone down..
Phone and i have no problem zooming in on images.
ReplyDeleteVia my iPad only.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Geoff
I (for the most part) use my tablet, and have no problems in using the zoom function.
ReplyDeleteI have never read blogs on my phone, however
I also use a laptop, but as I visit your blog first thing in the morning, I don't use it, as it is in my common office area, and would probably wake people up (despite the fact I am pretty quiet anyway).
I usually read your blog on a break at work, which means it's generally viewed on a desktop with a 28" screen or on a 13" iPad.
ReplyDeleteI very occasionally read older post on an iPhone 13 to while away time waiting at rail stations. Again, that presents no real problems. Obviously bumper posts like your recent Christmas comic selection are best enjoyed on one of the big screen options but they're still accessible on phones with a bit of zoom manipulation.
While we're talking about accessibility, I have to say I do appreciate the lack of intrusive pop-up ads that make certain other comic sites unreadable.
For viewing websites and blogs I use a desktop almost exclusively, especially important in recent years as I have complex eye issues. I also prefer being able to see pages full size and not having to zoom in. Phones easily win for dedicated apps like task lists and calendars, but a PC wins out purely on ease of viewing for me.
ReplyDeleteI view mostly on my iPad. Sometimes on my phone but less now as I’m not out as much because of the pandemic. No problem zooming in.
ReplyDeleteI normally read your blog and others with a high visual content on chromebook not just because of extra "real estate" but because I find it easier to navigate on not least with having damaged hands.
ReplyDeleteIt is, talking generally, difficult to get a balance that works for both smartphones and desktop/laptop that doesn't look ugly on bigger screens or a chore on smaller devices so in practise I feel it's best to optimize for what that audience is likely to want to use which for art based subjects tends be laptops or old school desktop computers.
Anyone who perhaps aspires to making their own art projects of various sorts mots likely has one.
Thanks for taking the time to post all your replies, folks. Interesting. I'll carry on posting a mixture of full pages and panel previews as it doesn't seem to be an inconvenience. Thanks as always for your interest in my work and following this blog.
ReplyDeleteLaptop
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm using a tablet to post this comment, I usually read the blog on a large screen TV, which is ideal for viewing images.
ReplyDeletePhone but can use "view desktop" option if need be
ReplyDeleteMainly via mobile. When I'm taking a 10 minute break from my fatherly duties, AKA hiding from the child in the bathroom.
ReplyDelete