As one who likes to keep code to a minimum, I use two classes for printing: .noprint and .noscreen.
For areas of your page that you control, navigation, navigation in your footer, ads, some graphics, etc., I add the class .noprint. Then, when you are doing you media="print" CSS, all you have to add is .noprint {display: none;} to eliminate all these areas with one line of code.
For items I do not want seen but do want printed, I use the class .noscreen. For example, in my footer I have
<span class="noscreen"><br /><em>You are here:</em> <span id="page_title" style="font-weight: bold;"><script type="text/javascript">{document.write(document.title)}</script></span><br /><%=SocialLink%></span>
While the <%=SocialLink%> is specific to a script I wrote which displays the URL, this is not needed when the site is being viewed online. However, since some people have their browsers set to not print the source URL, for my print CSS I have .noscreen{display:block;} so people know where the page came from. This also adds the business name, address and phone number. Again, this is adding to or subtracting from items to be printed with little CSS.
As for the ECT classes, you will have to do those manually. Some of the ones I eliminate are:
.addtocart, .quantitydiv, .detailquantity, .addtocart, .emailfriend, .previousnext, .prodfilter, .pagenums, .checkoutbutton, div.quantityinputdiv, .prodoptions, select.prodoption, span.prodoption, div.optiontext, div.option, div.addtocart, .notifystock, .configbutton, div.outofstock, div.multioptiontext, div.quantitydiv, {
display: none;
}
Remember, you can group all these elements. (These classes apply to the ECT CSS layout.)
And just a reminder, background images do not print by default, a user has to set their browser manually to print background images.
Bottom line, be thoughtful of your site visitors (and their ink) by putting yourself in their position. If you get upset printing superfluous things, they probably do too.
And you are welcome to visit the site in my signature line below and see how the print version varies from the screen version.
MarshallFrom Our Heart
FromOurHeart.com
Gifts, Plush Stuffed Animals, Toy, Games, Puzzles, 3D Gift Cards, Nostalgic Signs, and Collectibles
Printer friendly pages
Posted - 02/25/2011 : 05:11:49
