Reading a comic on the internet.

JeremyW · Post by **JeremyW** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:15 pm

Do you mind having to scroll down while reading a comic?

Chrismills · Post by **Chrismills** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:17 pm

I'd usually prefer not to scroll to find the comic (especially if I'm reading through archives), but so long as the comic fits on the screen I don't mind. Comics that are so large I have to scroll while I read bug me a little (though I've been guilty of this a few times).

Chibiartstudios · Post by **Chibiartstudios** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:18 pm

Depends. If it's a full pager or taller then I don't mind at all.

Sideways, never! You should never have to scroll sideways.

[geoduck] · Post by **[geoduck]** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:19 pm

JeremyW wrote:Do you mind having to scroll down while reading a comic?

It's better than having to scroll sideways, or worse, both.

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:25 pm

Scrolling down to read isn't a problem, especially when some people still have small monitors. Scrolling down is pretty natural feeling too, as far as the internet goes.

I don't like it when comics are improperly sized so that you have to go back and forth between scrolling to the side and then down. You should never have to read a newspaper style comic this way.

I don't mind scrolling sideways when they're "infinite canvas" comics like alex and ilia. Those tend to have you scroll in only one direction at a time. As long as you are reading the story, it's obvious where to scroll next.

Phact0rri · Post by **Phact0rri** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:29 pm

only time I have a problem is when a full panel is larger than the total of my screen.

Godoftarot · Post by **Godoftarot** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:50 pm

I don't mind having to scroll sideways for comics like, say, Dominic Deegan, because you only have to scroll a tiny bit. I purposely make sure the width of my comic pages fit in the screen so you don't have to do it.
And I don't mind scrolling down at all. Mouse clicky scrolly wheel thingy ^^
...well, unless I'm scrolling down for a long time.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:54 pm

Vertical scrolling is fine, thanks to the convenience of mouse wheels, but it helps to have comic navigation buttons both at the top of the comic and at the bottom so you don't have to scroll down if you want to skip past the comic or, alternatively, scroll up once you've finished reading it. However, panels should fit on the screen and for preference should fit on the screen in 800x600 mode. That means a panel can be a maximum of about 430 pixels tall (taking into account browser toolbars, menus and so on).

- Joel Fagin

Warofwinds · Post by **Warofwinds** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:01 pm

The majority (80%+) of hits on my page use a 1024x768 screen (or larger), so if a comic is bigger than that, it had better be worth that teensy bit of effort to scroll. As some have said before, scrolling down is not a problem, but I find scrolling sideways to be very annoying. But, just me.

On another note, I believe the 800x600 screen is now almost obsolete. So, it's ok to make pages for larger monitors.

-Kez

Caduceus · Post by **Caduceus** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:06 pm

As long as no panel is larger than the viewable area of the browser I don't mind any scrolling at all.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:14 pm

warofwinds wrote:On another note, I believe the 800x600 screen is now almost obsolete.

Nope. Still 40% of internet users when I checked a couple of months ago. It's just that webcomics advertise on webcomic sites and end up recycling the same group of teenager-to-twenty-something computer savvy gamers with 1024x768 screens around and around.

There are a lot more people out there than that. It's just that no one's trying to get them reading. Advertising in the webcomic audience has higher returns, I guess. You already know they like webcomics.

- Joel Fagin

Sam_Charette · Post by **Sam_Charette** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:43 pm

I have zero problems with scrolling up and down. It's natural, as others said, as most web pages of substantive length require it anyway.

BUT...

I want the comic to appear without having to scroll down to see it. It doesn't have to, but I really prefer it.

AND

I hate scrolling sideways.

Nyke · Post by **Nyke** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 6:26 pm

If I have to scroll, I want to be able to scroll only one way. Make it too tall, fine. Make it too wide, fine. Make it too tall AND too wide, fuck you.

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 6:34 pm

Question: how big should a comic be (pixel-wise) to avoid scrolling issues? I find I have to scroll down somewhat to read all of my own comic online, and I'd rather not have to do that, especially if it annoys some people.

Toxic · Post by **Toxic** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:01 pm

It's based on screen resolution. It's about 615 pixels at normal 1024 by 768 resolution.

Cope · Post by **Cope** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:04 pm

I'll cast my vote by saying I don't mind scrolling vertically or horizontally so long as I don't have to do both simultaneously. Also I agree with Joel in that comics exceeding the length or width of the screen need buttons at both ends. Personally, I like this because it allows me to start downloading the next comic in a new window before I start reading the currnet one.

Vorticus · Post by **Vorticus** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:28 pm

Vertically, no problem. Horizontally, I only put up with if I think the comic is quality and my efforts will be rewarded.

Bustertheclown · Post by **Bustertheclown** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 8:06 pm

I don't mind so much, but I do try to make it so that my own comics don't need so much scrolling. However, I do tall comics, so it's hard to get the detail in and still maintain a scroll-less page, so there's a bit of it to be had.

Grabmygoblin · Post by **Grabmygoblin** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 8:14 pm

don't mind scrolling down.
the only person I've seen really effectively use sideways scroll is williamg, author of it's about girls.

hate it when people make comics way too big for the window and you have to both sideways scroll and downwards scroll. it is one or the other.

however, if you are making an infinite canvas comic, I will follow everything you do. those are fun, if done well.

MariaAndMichelle · Post by **MariaAndMichelle** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 8:20 pm

Don't really like scrolling down, but we don't mind it. Our comic's guilty of it, anyway.

Scrolling sideways sucks chode, though. ...But Goblin's right that it's okay in It's About Girls.

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