Fixed vs: Relative Width Web Page

[wslade]

Hello Everyone,

I'd like your comments about fixed versus relative, liquid, elastic or fluid width layouts. I do prefer fixed layout web sites. But then, I'm really old and set in my ways.

Please let me know which layout you feel is better and why.

Thank you very much...

[Bruceper]

Personally I prefer fixed from a designers point of view. It's easier to ensure that everything will look properly for all viewers rather than to have some user with a really weird resolution have issues.

[wslade]

Thanks for your comment Bruce,

I fully agree. I don't like the idea of my site being squished (is that even a word?) to the point where everything is unreadable. However, when I look at new Wordpress themes, the flexible themes seem to be beating the fixed width ones.

A user could squish my site but what would be the advantage? And a site of flexible width should always fit the users screen, is this correct?

I'm just trying to decide how I set the CSS on my new site.

Thanks for your comments...

[Bruceper]

A flexible width SHOULD always fit a users screen, but to do it properly you really need to run a script that checks for screen width to serve the proper images.

A header image 500px wide will look fine one a site with an 800 width, but if the user has a screen width of 1600px then that image will look insignificant!