advice about fixed width vs screen

[potteryshop]

OK folks. I am very much an amateur, but am going to make this website good.

I am struggling with the width of screen as related to viewing a site. I have mostly images with descriptive sections that really need to be formatted a certain shape to look best. If I allow all to fit screen, this will become distorted. If I fix the size, it will not be nice and centered for all viewers.

I'm starting to think that I should fit my 19" and hope that is the majority.

Any advice you would care to add will be welcome.

[Andilinks]

I have dealt with this problem by allowing some flexibility on the right hand side only but only up to a point so that once the screen expands beyond it there is blank space on the right instead of an over-stretched page. If I put any content on the right I make it optional (like an ad, or promotion) so if someone with a very narrow screen misses it there's not a lot lost.

There are several ways to accomplish this and I'm not an expert with them all, it all depends on how you are structuring your page. I'm using nested tables which work fine for me though many consider this method outmoded.

I am not a professional web designer, I only do my own site.

[johnfl68]

Some who want a specific format (like in your case) typically go for a fixed width container, that is centered on the page, often with some pleasant design for the page background (think wallpaper). That way - those that view the page content on wider monitors, have a pleasing look (with more background to the left and right of your content), and it still is formatted to look the way you want in the center.

Usually people do this with CSS, but could be done with tables.

John

[Randall]

The latest stats from my non-FQ site show that 800x600 is a small minority (5-6%), and that 1024x768 (15" LCD) is the clear leader right now.* I'm designing for 800x600, but like John suggested, I have a background that defines the edges of the (fixed-width) page on larger screens.

Randall

* I suspect that a lot of those 1024x768 screens are larger monitors set below their native resolution.

[potteryshop]

Thanks to all for the advice. It is appreciated.
I am really going to enjoy using FQ. Support and community are great.

[Andilinks]

Welcome to FutureQuest, glad to have helped. Sorry about being so terse in my last post, I guess I was just in a terse mood yesterday. :)