Above the fold
Encyclopedia
"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
, or in case of webpages, the part of a page that's visible without scrolling. 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 vague as screen sizes vary greatly between users, especially in an era where websites are viewed with mobile devices as much as home computers.
Newspaper stories that appear below the fold are said to be located “under the fold.”
Internet search query results appear much in the same way. Many web site optimization efforts may be exerted in an attempt gain the highest "search indexing" or "ranking" placement (as close to first place as possible) for directed term(s) or phrase(s). Using natural or "organic" web site optimization practices has been the standard operating procedure for attaining higher indexing with the end result being the web site appearing in the view area or "above the fold" of the search results pages and especially the first page.
Infrequently used in reference to resume and CV (curriculum vitae) layout, where the most crucial and relevant (to the job sought) information must be in the top third, alternately called the "hot zone", to catch the attention of the reader. Since most applicants file credentials electronically, and applications are no longer folded in thirds to fit in an envelope, the advice remains, even though the means of distribution has changed.
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
concept that refers to the location of an important news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
story or a visually appealing photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
on the upper half of the front page of a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, or in case of webpages, the part of a page that's visible without scrolling. 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
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
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
Web development
Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet or an intranet . This can include web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development...
to refer the portions of a webpage that can be visible without scrolling. However, some have suggested that this term is vague as screen sizes vary greatly between users, especially in an era where websites are viewed with mobile devices as much as home computers.
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.”
Internet search query results appear much in the same way. Many web site optimization efforts may be exerted in an attempt gain the highest "search indexing" or "ranking" placement (as close to first place as possible) for directed term(s) or phrase(s). Using natural or "organic" web site optimization practices has been the standard operating procedure for attaining higher indexing with the end result being the web site appearing in the view area or "above the fold" of the search results pages and especially the first page.
Infrequently used in reference to resume and CV (curriculum vitae) layout, where the most crucial and relevant (to the job sought) information must be in the top third, alternately called the "hot zone", to catch the attention of the reader. Since most applicants file credentials electronically, and applications are no longer folded in thirds to fit in an envelope, the advice remains, even though the means of distribution has changed.
External links
- Screen Resolution and Page Layout by Jakob Nielsen
- "Scrolling and Attention" by Jakob Nielsen, March 22nd, 2010
- The myth of the page fold, evidence from user testing by Fiz Yazdi and Joe Leech
- Blasting the Myth of the Fold by Milissa Tarquini , on Boxes and Arrows
- Myth: People don't scroll
- Unfolding the Fold by ClickTaleClicktaleClickTale is an Internet company founded in 2006, that provides Customer Experience Analytics and Web Analytics services. As of February 2009, ClickTale had over 20,000 users and its revenue was estimated at over $1.2M per annum...
- Find the fold and browser sizing at foldtester.com