There are ways to set a target size to constrain your page to a specified dimension. This is important, remember everybody's computer is a bit different. Monitor size, resolution, how many colors, and what platform they have, are all factors that play into how your Web site will be displayed. To decide what the dimensions will be for your pages, consider who your audience will be. Most companies try to design for the lowest common denominator, which for computers on the Web is a screen resolution of 800x600. It's a good rule of thumb to design a site that will be visible and function when viewed at that resolution size. Figure 2.30 shows that you can set the dimensions of your page by using the window size pop-up menu. Notice that each option has two dimensions. The dimensions on the left represent the actual size of the document, whereas the numbers on the right and in parentheses represent the resolution size the monitor has to be for the value to be acceptable. If you're designing a site to fit in a screen resolution size of 800x600, remember the whole screen is not your workspace. You have to allot room for the button bar, location bar, and other toolbars. Figure 2.30. The window size pop-up menu offers common Web page dimensions NOTE It's important to know that if you choose a dimension in the window size pop-up menu, there is nothing locking the window to that size. If you resize, minimize, or maximize the window you're changing the window dimension. So it's good practice to keep your eye on it. Also, it doesn't have to be exact, just have a general idea of how large the space is that you're adding content to within a page. Status Bar The Status bar is simply an indicator telling you the overall size of the document, and how long it will take that document to download with someone using a 28 kbps modem. |