What
are the advantages of using Pixel or Screen size fonts instead of
Point size?
What are the advantages of using Pixel or Screen size fonts instead
of Point size?
Despite the great advances in technology that CSS and DHTML provide
they are hindered with a lot of baggage. The most obvious is the
fact that they were built on top of HTML which for all of its original
innovation, was never intended to provide interactive dynamic content.
Two-way transmission of interactive information using human readable
alphanumeric codes is extremely cumbersome. That is one reason why
Microsoft likes to push Active X and Direct X. (Their proprietary
nature is another.)
Another form of baggage that DHTML/CSS is hindered with is human
dogma. I wrote an article several months ago about how fast your
web pages should load. The common dogma measures this in seconds.
In my opinion, that is a very superficial way to design a web page.
If you are interested, you can read the article here.
When HTML was first developed, the standard way to change font
sizes was with the <big> and <small> tags. If you want
<big>large text</big> or <big><big>very
large text</big></big> simply add these tags at the
appropriate locations. Give it a try. They still work.
But just how big is <big>? It is simply bigger than what
ever went before.
When the primary motive for having an HTML page was to display
articles written by technical specialists, this level of text formatting
was fine. As web sites were developed for more general uses especially
business and entertainment, this level of formatting simply became
inadequate.
The next advance was with the use of the Font and Font Size tags
that can specify text size in absolute numbers. <Font Size="3">This
text is smaller</Font<>Font Size="4">than
this text</Font>. But how much smaller? Size "3"
is generally considered to be equivalent to 12 Point. But what is
a Point?
Point - Smallest typographical unit of measurement; 12 points =
1 pica, and 1 point = approximately 1/72 of an Inc. Type is measured
in terms of points. From: http://www.designfactorynet.com/dfi6000/gloss_p.html
Isn't a Pica something from Pokemon?
Point size is a term that was derived from typesetting where a
printing press was loaded with standard size characters or type.
Typesetting is a technology of the past that has little significance
in today's modern printing houses. Although Point size is still
a quantifiable term for printing, it never was for web design. The
fact is that a 12 point font is going to be bigger or smaller from
one computer monitor to another based upon many different variable.
With CSS more advanced font formatting capabilities were introduced.
Font formatting and Font size in particular is significant. In addition
to selecting point size fonts it is now possible to select pixel
size fonts or screen size fonts that are created relative to the
display settings. To use pixel size for example, you can enter:
<font style="size:20px;">This text is exactly 20
pixels high</font>. At least it is in theory.
What are the advantages of using Pixel or Screen size fonts instead
of Point size? The most significant is design control. A Point size
font is a completely unknown design element. Depending on their
screen resolution, available fonts and system font size setting,
a Point size block of text can occupy almost any amount of screen
real estate.
A common problem when using CSS with Point size fonts is caused
when the page is designed with small system fonts but viewed on
a system with large system fonts selected. This can cause blocks
of text to overlap and become unreadable, a problem that I have
even seen on some very large professional sites.
The alternative is to design the page with large fonts selected
but this can make the blocks of text appear small and isolated on
many systems. Other alternatives are to design the web page with
a single block of text or to insert the text into Tables. Both solutions
can severely restrict design options.
So why do so many Web Design references suggest that Point size
fonts be used instead of Pixel size?
I suspect that it is primarily a case of Internet Dogma. "That
is the way it was designed to be used and consequently that is the
way it should be used"; even though it may be an intolerable
handicap for a designer.
When a reason is given it is usually that a web design should not
interfere with the personal settings of the visitor. People with
visual problems especially, may have their computer set to help
them effectively see the text. No one after all, wants to be accused
of being inconsiderate to the visually impaired.
Although the sentiment is valid, the issue is whether or not a
125% font size is the correct solution. The fact is that if you
are using 8 point fonts they are still likely to be too small for
the visually impaired even when large system fonts are being used.
There are much better solutions for people with visual problems.
An obvious one is to use a larger monitor if possible. If not, the
monitor resolution can be set lower. Both solutions provide significant
advantages over traditional print media that does not offer either.
The notion that a reader could change the font size in a magazine
but still have it fit the page is silly. It would result in overlapping
text which would be very difficult to read and almost impossible
to design effectively. This is exactly the problem experienced by
web designers using Point size fonts.
So what if a small Pixel size fonts is used and a visually impaired
viewer only has a small monitor, does not know how to change the
system resolution and does not have a magnifying glass? The answer
can be expressed in the form of another question. What if a designer
is inclined to use bright blue text on a bright red background?
Is the best solution to only allow monochrome displays? Both are
examples of a bad design. The job of a good designer is to ensure
that every potential visitor's needs are accounted for. The best
way to do that is to provide a design environment that does not
impose cumbersome design restrictions.
Point Size fonts work well with simple web pages. With advanced
web sites that take full advantage of CSS and Dynamic HTML, point
size fonts can create unanticipated problems and interfere with
the objectives of the designer. Pixel or Screen size fonts provide
much better control for the designer provided they remain aware
of their visitors needs.
About the Author "IMS Web Tips"
(http://www.imswebtips.com) is a weekly news letter for all web
site managers regardless of experience who are looking for detailed
information on creating, maintaining and promoting their web sites.
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