CSS Forum

**Truly** · 12-30-2008, 07:05 PM

I am struggling with text size changes in IE, having to consider that in layout designs is a real pain.

I have seen sites with EM widths that adjust as text size changes, I have see some with percentages that change, I have seen others that somehow dont change the text size at all.

I am all for accessibility, but doesnt zoom make more sense since it doesnt distort the layout? And if so, how do you stop your page from resizing with text size changes?

**stevej** · 12-30-2008, 07:11 PM

Well, how do you set the size of your text? If you set this size using the "em" attribute, then yes, it will normally resize. Normally, I use the "px" attribute. For example:

Code:

font-size: 12px;

That always works for me. And if you don't set a size for the text at all, then it will revert to the default size.

Tell me if it works!
- Steve

**chrishirst** · 12-30-2008, 08:56 PM

I tend to size everything in ems, so that the elements expand at the same rate as the text.

**Truly** · 12-31-2008, 12:09 AM

Thanks for both of the answers. Stevej, your solution worked well. By setting font size equal to 12px in the body declaration it stops resizing of the text. This does not stop <h1> et al from resizing but that doesnt change the general layout much.

I see this as a temporary solution so that I can get the site up but I think in the long run I will work on switching over to a em based layout as christhirst suggested so that it is more accesible.

Thanks again for the advice.

**LadynRed** · 12-31-2008, 11:58 AM

Setting font sizes using PX means that users of IE6 (and there are still LOTS of them) will not be able to resize the text to suit their needs.

The better way is to set the font size on <body> to 100.1% (takes care of rounding errors), then define the text sizes in em's or percentages. In general, the default text size is 16px, do the math for the smaller sizes. 12/16=75% or .75em.

In order to keep text sizing from breaking your layout, you'll have to uses percentages or ems for ALL of the widths in your layout - not pixels.

**Truly** · 01-01-2009, 05:18 PM

Yes thats definetly on my to-do list. Here is a useful site I found to help out anyone else who is thinking of making the switch as well: http://pxtoem.com/

It converts px to em.

I guess its incorrect practice but since I started thinking about switching to an em based layout I have noticed that the majority of sites really limit the ability to resize text. Obviously this has the advantage of making the layout look the same on any text size. FF also doesnt have text resize from what I see but just zooms in, a feature that IE also has, so although im still going to do it, is it that important to let the user adjust the text size? Unless some browsers dont have that ability.

Anyways thats my ramble... thanks again for the help

**LadynRed** · 01-02-2009, 12:32 PM

FF most certainly DOES resize text, you just need to use the CTRL_+ or CTRL_- to increase/decrease the font size, but FF will resize text even if it's defined by the designer as px - and layouts like that break badly more often than not.