Need advice on size of Fixed Width Layout., If everyone uses 800x600 then why does it always stretch my 1024x768 s Options

[J_Starner]

I'm beginning to think up my layout. My layout is going to be one large "box" where all of my content will be in, this box will be surrounded by a background pattern or something. Well my problem is this. Looking up various bits of advice, I began to wonder why everyone talks about most websites being fixed with, and making them 800x600, yet every website I go onto fits my screen like it is being stretched. My resolution is 1024x768. How could this be? Is there some trick here I'm not aware of?

[Darin McGrew]

Please see the FAQ entry For what screen size should I write?

[J_Starner]

I've read it, but don't quite understand how that would stretch a 800x600 website across a 1024x768 screen.

I've done a million practice layouts from one of my practice books, and it is all done at 600x800. yet in my resolution it never stretches or anything, it just sits on the left side of the page, leaving a big white area to the right.

I also know fixed layouts don't even stretch, at least to my knowledge.

Take this page for example. This is the sort of layout I'm trying to accomplish.

http://crazyegg.com/

This post has been edited by J_Starner: Jul 14 2007, 01:45 PM

[Darin McGrew]

I've read it, but don't quite understand how that would stretch a 800x600 website across a 1024x768 screen.

It helps if you don't start with "a 800x600 website" that needs to be stretched (or squished) to fit the available display area. (BTW, screen size is irrelevant; browsers don't start with maximized windows, and even maximized windows don't get the entire screen.)

I've done a million practice layouts from one of my practice books, and it is all done at 600x800.

So stop doing practice layouts in 600x800 (or any other specific size).

See also Web Pages aren't Printed on Paper.

Take this page for example. This is the sort of layout I'm trying to accomplish.

http://crazyegg.com/

That just looks like a fixed-width layout that is centered if the available display area is wider than the width of the layout.