Liquid Layout vs. Fixed Width

800 pixels x 600 pixels 1024 pixels x 768 pixels 1280 pixels x 1024 pixels
Liquid Layout
800 x 600 		Liquid Layout
1024x768		 Liquid Layout
1280x1024
     
     
Fixed Width
800 x 600 		Fixed Width
1024x768		 Fixed Width
1280x1024
     

Web sites designed with a liquid layout fill the screen horizontally, no matter what screen resolution the user has. A fixed-width web site however, retains the same width on the screen even as the screen resolution expands or contracts. The images above show how this works for the viewer.

At Christopher Merrill Web Design, we recommend fixed-width web sites for most of our clients. However, there are some exceptions for sites with high volume that are database driven.

For a short video explanation, please click on the video link below:

 

See also the following YouTube video comparing screen resolutions for three major websites:

 

Questions? Please contact Christopher Merrill.