Re: font size equivalence

[Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- jci -dot- com]

>While there are many users who do control how their browsers display
>the text of web pages, there are also a large number of users, it seems
>to me, who really don't know how to use their browsers at all. I spend
>a interesting amount of time at work, where we have some very savvy
>programmers, explaining to them some of the simplest browser concepts
>(such as How to Set Your Home Page, How to turn On/Off scripts, etc.).
>
>If users don't know how to set presentation on their browsers,
>shouldn't I set the fonts for them, using stylesheets of course? If
>they're smart enough to figure out how to control the display
>themselves, they'll turn off my page's settings in favor of their own,
>if they want to. Otherwise, I'm thinking I am justified in setting my
>choices for type, size, leading, and so forth.

First a link to Old News (Dave Siegel's guide to setting your browser
ergonomically, as set forth in a series of Web Wonk pieces back in 1995)

http://www.dsiegel.com/tips/

Yes, it's true, nothing ever really goes away. And most of those tips are
still useful today.

Now, to the question:

Let's put it another way, just to see how *bad* it can sound: Isn't it a
Good Idea for me to force readers, to whom I am hoping to endear myself and
my writing, to go back and redo their browser setups in order to view my
pages in the manner to which they have already declared once they want them
to be seen?

Now that I've abused the question a bit, my own personal answer is yes/no.

And here's how I accomplish that ambiguity. ;{>} I set a list of typefaces
in the style sheet, along with a base font size. Then everything else is
specified as relative changes from that baseline. If the baseline font is
12pt, for example, and I want a 24pt header, I'll specify that header size
as 2em, which doubles the base font size.

What this technique does, is keep the aspects of the design harmonious. If
the user overrides my default font selection, then the headers will still
look right, as they will be proportional to the base font. For example, if
the user insists 10pt is good enough, the header will come out at 20pt, and
if the user with bad eyes insists on 16pt then the header will be 32pt.

I forget where I got that tip, but I'll give the credit to Jeff Veen,
because I think that's where I got it, and even if it isn't he's a Good Guy
and deserves some credit. ;{>}

It's still a risk, resetting the font face and size, though. Be aware that
you *will* antagonize some folks, and make sure your design still plays
well in font faces and sizes you wouldn't pick except under duress, just to
be safe.

Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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In God we trust; all others must provide data.
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Opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.


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