Above the fold
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"Above the fold" is a graphic design concept that refers to the location of an important news story or a visually appealing photograph on the upper half of the front page of a newspaper. Most papers are delivered and displayed to customers folded up, meaning that only the top half of the front page is visible. Thus, an item that is "above the fold" may be one that the editors feel will entice people to buy the paper. Alternatively, it reflects a decision, on the part of the editors, that the article is one of the day's most important. By extension, the space above the fold is also preferred by advertisers, since it is the most prominent and visible even when the newspaper is on stands.
The term can be used more generally to refer to anything that is prominently displayed or of highest priority.
This term has been extended and used in web development to refer the portions of a webpage that can be visible without scrolling. However, some have suggested that this term is inaccurate as screen sizes vary greatly between users, especially in an era where websites are viewed with mobile devices as much as home computers.
This term is also used to indicate whether a banner advertisement or other content is displayed on a web page without the need to scroll. This is likely to give higher click-through, but note that the location of the 'fold' within the web browser is dependent on the screen resolution of a user's personal computer.[1]
[edit] Variants
Some Web marketers have called this above the scroll or "above the crease", referring to the way in which newspapers are folded and creased.
Newspaper stories that appear below the fold are said to be located “under the fold.”[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Internet Marketing, Dave Chaffey et al, fourth edition 2009.
[edit] External links
- Screen Resolution and Page Layout by Jakob Nielsen
- Blasting the Myth of the Fold by Milissa Tarquini , on Boxes and Arrows
- Unfolding the Fold by ClickTale
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