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Monitor Screen Resolution

Screen resolution and monitor size are related, but not universal. Resolution refers to the number of pixels a screen can display within a given area. Screen resolution is usually expressed in pixels per linear inch of screen. Most personal computer displays have resolutions that vary from 72 to 96 pixels per inch (ppi). The resolution of the display screen is dependent on how the monitor and display card are configured, but it's safe to assume that most users fall into the lower end of the range, or about 72 to 80 ppi.

Display Resolution

Screen resolution refers to the sizes of the display. At a higher resolution the items on the screen will actually be smaller, but there will be more room on the screen. The current trend is that more and more computers are using a screen size of 1024x768 pixels or more:

2007 Higher 1024x768 800x600 640x480 Unknown
January 26% 54% 14% 0% 6%
           
2006          
July 19% 58% 17% 0% 6%
January 17% 57% 20% 0% 6%
           
2005          
July 14% 55% 25% 0% 6%
January 12% 53% 30% 0% 5%
           
2004          
July 10% 50% 35% 1% 4%
January 10% 47% 37% 1% 5%
           
2003          
July 8% 43% 44% 2% 5%
January 6% 40% 47%     2% 5%
            
2002            
October  6% 38% 49% 2% 5%

Many users are using 800x600 display screens because:

Web Graphics

Images that will be printed require high resolution, where images on the screen can be much lower. Since most monitors can only display up to 96 px resolution, anything higher than that in not necessary and will create long download times for the viewer. Do not confuse picture size with resolution. If you have a picture on your site that takes up half your screen and you have a professional printer grab it for a magazine article, it will print out about the size of a postage stamp.

Web Layouts

You never really know what the viewer is using for a display. I personally have a wide screen monitor and run my browser at full screen. Some people have a large monitor and run the browser window in a smaller size. So even if you know which monitor everyone is using and which resolution they are using, you still don't know how big the viewer's browser window is.

Fixed Width Layout
  • Best for sites with limited content
    In a fixed layout, you can control the overall look of the site better. If you go with a fixed layout, it is better to center the layout and perhaps have a background that is visually appealing (without being over-powering. Fixed width layouts should usually be set up for the lowest common denominator (800x600 resolution) since you do not want the view to have to scroll left to right to see all the content.
Fluid Layout
  • Better for sites with a lot of content
    If you use a fluid layout, you should use columns. If you allow your paragraphs to stretch the full width of the screen, it makes reading the information more difficult. If you have very little text, there will be a lot of empty space on your site.
Partially Fluid Layout
  • Best for sites with a lot of content
    This is the best of both worlds. You can control column size (vertical menus come to mind) and allows some content to flow to fill the browser.

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