Webtoonization is the opposite process to printoonization. But what is a webtoonization ? It consists in selecting a printed manga and modifying it in order to transform it into a webtoon. To this end, similarly to a printoonization process, it is first of all key to separate all the pages’ panels, so as to reorganize them and create a new staging that fits the webtoon’s reading codes. Since a webtoon is read vertically, by scrolling on a smartphone, the panels have to follow each other seamlessly and coherently. The adaptation work is therefore crucial : one has to find a way of preserving the story’s atmosphere, while adapting it to a completely different storytelling pattern.
In order to do that, you have to erase all the word balloons from the original pages, to be able to shape the panels in a vertical format. As in a printoonization, it is common to have to redraw some elements to obtain a harmonious illustration, perfectly adapted to its new medium. Texts are often modified too : the dialogues’ font can be altered or enlarged, to fit better the phone’s reading format and the context, which is not commonly the case in a classical manga.
Webtoonizing a manga involves reorganizing and coloring its pages
Contrary to the printoonization process, the webtoonization’s works on color. Webtoons are for the vast majority available in color. Therefore, colorizing a manga’s pages is necessary when it is converted in a digital format, allowing it to optimally fit the webtoons and other smartoons readers’ expectations. This chromatic transformation also grants a new and unreleased-before aspect, leading the readers to check on the webtoon, even if they already know about the manga.
Even though a manga’s promotion is done through a cover and back-cover, a webtoon’s is done differently. Therefore, it is vital to also rethink this side of the work when it is webtoonized. Often, logos and small illustrations are preferred to catch the eye of potential readers browsing through smartoons’ apps. When a manga is turned into a webtoon, the creation of these images is thus another vital step.
Webtoonization is the vertical reformatting of the storytelling
Turning a manga into a webtoon is a work that requires a lot of thoroughness from the graphic design and typesetting teams. It is why Printoonize has selected a talented and experimented team. If you want to know more about our services, or ask for a quote, contact us!