Comments on: CSS Font Sizes Using Ems, Explained http://casjam.com/blog/css-font-sizes-using-ems-explained/ The Business of Design Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Brian http://casjam.com/blog/css-font-sizes-using-ems-explained/#comment-23 Brian Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:31:03 +0000 http://casjam.com/blog/dev/?p=279#comment-23 @Volomike - Thanks for your comments. All good points (no pun intended). What I like about sticking to ems (most of the time) is from a design standpoint, the heirarchy of font-sizes remain somewhat balanced. For example, I tend to keep line-heights at 1.5em (1.5 x the base font size). I often like page headers to be twice the size of paragraph text (2em). Etc. Of course, you could keep these proportions using any of the font-size methods, but I find ems makes the math easier (for me at least). @Volomike – Thanks for your comments. All good points (no pun intended).

What I like about sticking to ems (most of the time) is from a design standpoint, the heirarchy of font-sizes remain somewhat balanced. For example, I tend to keep line-heights at 1.5em (1.5 x the base font size). I often like page headers to be twice the size of paragraph text (2em). Etc.

Of course, you could keep these proportions using any of the font-size methods, but I find ems makes the math easier (for me at least).

]]> By: Brian http://casjam.com/blog/css-font-sizes-using-ems-explained/#comment-220 Brian Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:31:00 +0000 http://casjam.com/blog/dev/?p=279#comment-220 @Volomike - Thanks for your comments. All good points (no pun intended). What I like about sticking to ems (most of the time) is from a design standpoint, the heirarchy of font-sizes remain somewhat balanced. For example, I tend to keep line-heights at 1.5em (1.5 x the base font size). I often like page headers to be twice the size of paragraph text (2em). Etc. Of course, you could keep these proportions using any of the font-size methods, but I find ems makes the math easier (for me at least). @Volomike – Thanks for your comments. All good points (no pun intended).

What I like about sticking to ems (most of the time) is from a design standpoint, the heirarchy of font-sizes remain somewhat balanced. For example, I tend to keep line-heights at 1.5em (1.5 x the base font size). I often like page headers to be twice the size of paragraph text (2em). Etc.

Of course, you could keep these proportions using any of the font-size methods, but I find ems makes the math easier (for me at least).

]]> By: Volomike http://casjam.com/blog/css-font-sizes-using-ems-explained/#comment-22 Volomike Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:21:23 +0000 http://casjam.com/blog/dev/?p=279#comment-22 The way I hear it, the only reason we use ems really is because of IE6 and prior browsers. I mean, IE7 and all other browsers support appropriate font resizing if you use points (pt) or pixels. What I dislike about ems is that they are cumulative (what you call relative), meaning if you set a container element to one em size, the inside ems are affected and you can't think in the same terms. But with points or pixels, you know what you're getting. I'm thinking of sticking with points (pt) because IE6 will be leaving us soon and at least we have marginal support for IE6 at this point. The reason I don't use pixels is because some fonts don't look great at certain pixel ranges, and because it's fairly easy to remember sticking with 8pt, 9pt, 10pt, 11pt, 12pt, 14pt, 16pt, 18pt, and so on. Most of us are usually in the 8pt - 12pt range in our work, with an occasional 14pt or 16pt for a subheader (or perhaps a header if that's your interest) and then 18pt or higher (skipping every 2 points) for headers. The way I hear it, the only reason we use ems really is because of IE6 and prior browsers. I mean, IE7 and all other browsers support appropriate font resizing if you use points (pt) or pixels. What I dislike about ems is that they are cumulative (what you call relative), meaning if you set a container element to one em size, the inside ems are affected and you can’t think in the same terms. But with points or pixels, you know what you’re getting.

I’m thinking of sticking with points (pt) because IE6 will be leaving us soon and at least we have marginal support for IE6 at this point. The reason I don’t use pixels is because some fonts don’t look great at certain pixel ranges, and because it’s fairly easy to remember sticking with 8pt, 9pt, 10pt, 11pt, 12pt, 14pt, 16pt, 18pt, and so on. Most of us are usually in the 8pt – 12pt range in our work, with an occasional 14pt or 16pt for a subheader (or perhaps a header if that’s your interest) and then 18pt or higher (skipping every 2 points) for headers.

]]> By: Volomike http://casjam.com/blog/css-font-sizes-using-ems-explained/#comment-219 Volomike Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:21:00 +0000 http://casjam.com/blog/dev/?p=279#comment-219 The way I hear it, the only reason we use ems really is because of IE6 and prior browsers. I mean, IE7 and all other browsers support appropriate font resizing if you use points (pt) or pixels. What I dislike about ems is that they are cumulative (what you call relative), meaning if you set a container element to one em size, the inside ems are affected and you can't think in the same terms. But with points or pixels, you know what you're getting. I'm thinking of sticking with points (pt) because IE6 will be leaving us soon and at least we have marginal support for IE6 at this point. The reason I don't use pixels is because some fonts don't look great at certain pixel ranges, and because it's fairly easy to remember sticking with 8pt, 9pt, 10pt, 11pt, 12pt, 14pt, 16pt, 18pt, and so on. Most of us are usually in the 8pt - 12pt range in our work, with an occasional 14pt or 16pt for a subheader (or perhaps a header if that's your interest) and then 18pt or higher (skipping every 2 points) for headers. The way I hear it, the only reason we use ems really is because of IE6 and prior browsers. I mean, IE7 and all other browsers support appropriate font resizing if you use points (pt) or pixels. What I dislike about ems is that they are cumulative (what you call relative), meaning if you set a container element to one em size, the inside ems are affected and you can’t think in the same terms. But with points or pixels, you know what you’re getting.

I’m thinking of sticking with points (pt) because IE6 will be leaving us soon and at least we have marginal support for IE6 at this point. The reason I don’t use pixels is because some fonts don’t look great at certain pixel ranges, and because it’s fairly easy to remember sticking with 8pt, 9pt, 10pt, 11pt, 12pt, 14pt, 16pt, 18pt, and so on. Most of us are usually in the 8pt – 12pt range in our work, with an occasional 14pt or 16pt for a subheader (or perhaps a header if that’s your interest) and then 18pt or higher (skipping every 2 points) for headers.

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