AWA -- Page Width

Page Width


	Author David Buxton
With so many different display resolutions (e.g. 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024), it is very difficult to design a page that works well in all configurations. A fluid width would be ideal, but is not always practical, especially when some pages need to have a fixed layout. If we must have a fixed width, then what should it be?
800 Pixel Width Displays	There are several reasons why a width that is several pixels less than 800 is recommended: - This is the most popular width used by commercially successful websites. People feel most comfortable with what they are used to. - Even though over 50% of us have a 1024x768 screen, there are still about 25% with displays set to a resolution of 800x600. - Laptop computers are growing in popularity and many of them have relatively small screens (e.g. 800x600). - Users should never have to scroll horizontally, which means we must accommodate those with 800x600 screens. People are used to scrolling vertically but find it very annoying to have to scroll horizontally, especially when trying to read their way through a wide paragraph. - Even though most displays are wider than 800, a significant number of users like to have several windows open simultaneously. Most, if not all of their windows are down sized. - Wide lines of text are more difficult to read. That is the reason why news print uses multiple columns. One reason why so many people down size their browsers from full screen, is to narrow the width of the text they are reading. - Many users of high resolution displays often reduce the resolution to effectively increase font sizes, etc.
640x480	The population 640x480 displays was less than 1% in 2004 and the 2005 statistics indicated 0% or at least very close to zero. It is generally accepted that this archaic old standard need not be accommodated any longer.
Less than 800	A page design that accommodates an 800x600 screen must make allowance for scroll bars and other windows features. Some recommend a page width of 750 pixels. Other recommend a page width of 780. The main objective is to keep the visitor from having to scroll horizontally if they are using a 800x600 display.
Fluid Width	Referred to as fluid, liquid or dynamic. It accommodates small and large windows as the page automatically sizes to fill the width of the page. It is also printer friendly. Generally it is best to set the width slightly narrower than the window. Web pages that make extensive use of graphical elements will find it difficult, if not impractical, to implement. A really good looking fluid width masthead can be a tough challenge.
Be Consistent	A consistent page width throughout the site is important. All too often there are pages that require a fixed layout, in which case it is probably best to be consistent and conform to a standard width.