Is Print Better or Worse than Digital?

Every podcast, book, article, and conversation I’ve heard referencing minimalism seems to include one recurring argument: Ditch the print and go digital.

We are all familiar with printed media - books, magazines, comics, and so on. E-books have been around for years now, but I feel that it hasn’t been until recently that digital media has become a serious competitor to print.

It’s hard to deny that books take up a lot of space, but e-books come with their own set of problems as well. This is part of my downsizing journey that has been difficult. I love books. I just feel that e-books don’t have the same eye-catching draw that physical books have.

When I originally wrote this article a few years ago, I had roughly 400 volumes of print manga. Today, I have about thirty. I finally got to the point where waiting on a handful of volumes of manga became a problem. I went almost a year waiting on some of my book orders to be fulfilled, and it left me unable to approach the series at all because I couldn’t even get the beginning volumes consecutively. It sucked all the enjoyment out of reading. I literally couldn’t start.

Most of my books are digital now, but I have set some guidelines on how I decide what to keep in print versus what I keep strictly as an e-book. Some books I have copies in both formats. Before we delve into my own criteria on choosing a book format, let’s dive into the pros and cons of each format.

The Pros & Cons of Physical Books

Pros

+ Low-tech, doesn’t need to be charged

+ Can be bought in person

+ Doesn’t require a special device

+ Can be shared with others

+ Can be resold or donated once it’s no longer needed

+ Offers screen-free entertainment

Cons

- Takes up a lot of space

- Hard to travel with

- Requires furniture to store

- Cumbersome

- Deteriorates over time depending on paper quality

- Often more expensive

- Depends on retailer availability

The Pros & Cons of E-Books:

Pros

+ Device can hold hundreds or thousands of books (often with expandable storage options)

+ Can be bought online instantaneously

+ Usually cheaper than physical copies

+ Doesn’t require shipping or driving to obtain

+ Takes up relatively little space

+ Variety of devices to meet needs (large screen, low glare, waterproof, etc.)

+ Ability to travel with easily

+ Variety of file formats based on your needs (if applicable)

Cons

- May require special app or file type that could eventually be discontinued

- Can’t be shared easily (if at all)

- Needs to be backed up to prevent complete loss of library

- Needs to be recharged

- Devices wear out

- Some apps don’t allow you to claim ownership of the file (i.e. can only be read within a certain app)

- Lower image quality for coffee table books or photography books

- Can’t be resold

Which Should you Choose?

Even if you find that one list has more negatives than positives, don’t be deterred. This isn’t a matter of picking which one is the best. It’s a matter of finding out what works for you. You might find that certain genres of books serve you better as digital copies than physical ones, or you might want to limit your children’s screen time by keeping print books around. This is a matter of finding out what works for you.

My criteria for deciding on what format I want depends on how important that book is to me. Is it something that speaks to my heart or feels like a second home? Is it something I would want to read if electricity was no longer a thing? Is this a tangible artifact that allows me to express my inner self? More often than not, a book simply doesn’t make the cut to physically dwell on myself - I simply wish to consume the material. When it came to swapping my physical manga for digital manga, one of the major pros was that I could get the entire series at once and I could take it with me anywhere. My absolute favorites still have a physical home on my shelf, but I have learned to be a lot more selective.

If you do decide that your physical books no longer need to be a part of your life, don’t throw them away! Look for secondhand bookstores that offer cash or store credit. For books that don’t qualify for trade-in, try donating them. Local libraries, charities, schools, and churches are all great places to give your books a new life.

If you have anything valuable to add or wish to share your experiences, leave a comment below!