Re: CSS and font sizing

Timmi:

The easy answer here is ... You can not really do this.

Cause even if you used my second suggestion, (see below) and "called" the
actual font size in points, different browsers and operating systems will
still render them at slightly, (greatly), different sizes.

Here are three things to ponder and I'll probably catch the dickens for each
one of them. But one or more may actually be helpful??

1. Make sure your CSS file is truly "universal". IE and Netscape react to
CSS in different ways. Especially if you really start using the "cascading"
features and sprinkle CSS throughout your page. So, it is generally best to
use an external file and call it in the HEAD section of the page. The
alternative is to put the whole CSS file in the HEAD.

This is often suggested but I must admit, I usually do NOT do it this way. I
tend to use CSS in the same manner as I would use "Styles" in a word
processor. However--Knowing how little support there is at this time, I use
CSS very sparingly.

2. Call out the actual point sizes for the various texts, body, H1, H2, etc.

Those of us with eyesight problems would prefer that you don't do this as it
destroys our ability to use big font sizes. Some must increase this very
dramatically in order to read ANYTHING. For such people, the last thing you
would need to worry about is a nice, well laid out and ordered page. They
would not be able to see well enough to appreciate it anyway.

3. For most of us, CSS is a "second" language, sort of like JavaScript or
VBScript would be. We tend to boo-boo the structure occasionally and even
the tiniest goof will cause Netscape to throw a fit.  So--Use any one of the
many CSS scripting programs such as CoffeeCup's Style Sheet Maker or even
the Style properties in FrontPage. (But I personally find the CSS in
FrontPage a little confusing to use.)

They are really neat--they help you to learn CSS and the nice, slick ones
like the Style Sheet Maker, http://www.coffeecup.com/ are a lot faster to
use than trying to do it by hand. And of course, they "Validate" the CSS as
you go. This does not mean that either browser will support everything the
programs are capable of producing.

<Snide Remark content="with apologies"> At least your code will be valid,
which some have insinuated, is far more important than whether it works in a
browser, or not. </Snide Remark>

Hey--don't throw that rock--I was only "funning".

Anyway, don't forget the KISS Principle when using CSS ...

Best wishes Ted Temer
Temercraft Designs Redding, CA
temer(at)c-zone.net
www.temercraft.com/
www.newsredding.com/


> I'm starting to implement CSS on my website and am having some problems
> geting consistent font sizing across browsers.
> My site used  font face="Verdana,geneva,Arial,sans-serif" size="-1" widely
> and I'm trying to get the correct approximation to this using CSS. If I
use
> font-size : x-small; this looks about right in IE5 but way too small in
> Netscape 4.7. I understand its all relative to the default size set in the
> browser (which I havent changed because I figure most people don't and I
> want to cater for the majority of my visitors) but the old HTML way
> displayed the font size approximately the same in both.
>
> Any suggestions? Please email me directly as well as to the list as I only
> get the digest and I need to get this sorted ASAP!
>
> TIA
>
> Timmi Gibson
> Marketing Assistant
> Verbatim Australia
> Ph: (03) 9823 0905
> Fax: (03) 9824 7011
> Web: http://www.verbatim.com.au
>
>

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