I’m working on some letterhead designs for a client.

On screen, the pages are about four inches by six inches. All of the options I’ve created seem reasonably balanced. Nicely composed.

But when I print the designs full-size (8-1/2 x 11") everything changes. This part is too big. That part is too heavy. These letters look wrong.

The documents — in physical space, at their actual size — look quite different than they do on the screen.

It’s a salient reminder. The digital world is different. What seems reasonable behind a screen could be quite wrong in the analog world. What seems accurate digitally can seem completely wrong in the flesh.

In a way, the screen tells us a story. Sometimes it’s told accurately. Sometimes, it’s a far cry from the truth.

It’s neither good nor bad … but it’s important to remember.