CSS FONT-SIZE
You can manipulate the size of your fonts by using values, percentages, or key terms. Using values are useful if you do not want the user to be able to increase the size of the font because your site will look incorrect if they did so. Percentages are great when you want to change the default font, but do not want to set a static value
Example
| body {font-size: x-large} p {font-size: 10px} |
Possible Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| xx-small
x-small small medium large x-large xx-large |
Sets the size of the font to different sizes, from xx-small to xx-large |
| smaller | Sets the font-size to a smaller size than the parent element |
| larger | Sets the font-size to a larger size than the parent element |
| length | Sets the font-size to a fixed size |
| % | Sets the font-size to a % of the parent element |
I have issue with the sentence, “Using values are useful if you do not want the user to be able to increase the size of the font because your site will look incorrect if they did so.” While technically true, it neglects the more important aspect that fixed value fonts are discouraged in good web design. Browsers are constantly changing as are fonts and screen resolutions. For example, no matter how hard a designer tries, a site she designed on her desktop PC is not going to look the same on the latest handheld computer or wall-sized home media center. Preventing the user from changing the font size is shortsighted and usually ends up seriously damaging the usability of a website, if not breaking it completely.