Stop text resizing in ALL browsers...

[LouPhi]

Hi

I am putting together a site, and the customer wants a particular layout using a scrolling area running left to right and various other non-standard bits and pieces. I have explained that alot of what we are doing is making the site less accessible, but what the customer wants, the customer gets (very persistent).

I need to be able to force the text size to remain the same on all browsers, so I have set the font sizes to pixels rather than x-small, small, medium, etc etc - which works in IE (choosing 'view text size - largest/smallest' makes no difference at all to the text size), however in Firefox and Safari (and possibly others) the text sizes can still be adjusted - but this means that the scrolling area and layout become completely messed up, and the text within the scoller (if text made larger) cuts off due to the height restriction.

The page can be viewed at http://www.equinox-group.co.uk/dev/pr/

If anybody knows of a way to FORCE the text size the remain the same on all browsers, I would be very grateful.

And for the record - I know this is a horrible thing to do, I have tried to convince the customer to use a different method and layout, but my words are falling on deaf ears - on his head be it when the accessibilty people come a-calling!

Thanks
Lou

[WebJoel]

And if my browser's chrome settings override your html document as to colors (foreground/background) used, font-family, font-sizes, use of javascript, JAVA or images, etc., -my browser wins. :) You can make the text be re-sizeable by using % or em, but I have my doubts if you can actually make your text be 'cement' for all browsers and un-changeable by the user if they so wish to change the way that they view it.. That is one of the rights of Accessibility (no lectures from me on the matter, -you stated your position quite admirably).
Using "px" will prevent font-resizing on some browsers, -but others will probably still force this to be resizeable on-demand. And you cannot send code into the user's browser to dictate client whims I'm afraid..

The only way that I know for a fact that 'text' can be un-changeable, is to use (gasp!), -an image...

As a web builder you can only educate your client just so much, I know. :o

[LouPhi]

Thanks - you're right of course... I have explained to my customer that since IE is likely to be the more widely used browser (sadly - until people wake up to the fact that the world doesn't revolve around Mr Gates) there is a small possibility, rather than a probability, that visitors to the site will have a problem - and to get around the accessibility issue we will create a text only version of the content to ensure we aren't alienating the less-visibly abled amongst us!

LP

[felgall]

You can easily override the font sizes in IE even if the page defines them in pixels, it just requires a knowledge of how to attach your own stylesheet to the browser. There is NO web browser that doesn't allow your visitor to change the font sizes to whatever they want.

Also IE is now very close to not being the most widely used browser as it already has less than 50% market share in some parts of the world. The IE7 release showed a lot of people that there were browsers other than IE6 and a large percentage of those have chosen to switch. Microsoft is hoping that they can get IE8 released before their market share drops so low that they cease to be relevant.

The only way to fix the font sizes for any browser is to serve the page as PDF instead of HTML.

[WebJoel]

....Microsoft is hoping that they can get IE8 released before their market share drops so low that they cease to be relevant. I just read an article about how badly IE8 has failed the ACID3 testing... it is the WORST browser out there... it's even lower-scored than IE5.x! It's pretty sad when three-versions later, your quintessetnial product is WORSE than 3-gens previous!!!
*I* happened to like IE5.0 and IE5.5 when they were 'it', -and IE has steadily degressed ever since. It was IE6 (aka "the problem child") that convinced me to go 100% Firefox and I've been using Firefox at least a little bit since version .8x :D

Safari incidently, scored the highest on ACID3... in the 90s. I think Firefox was third maybe(??), -in the high 70s or low 80s(??)... I should find that article and provide the URL. -Is anyone interested in reading this? (I suspect Firefox proponant DrHowardFine would be. ...I'm pretty sure he already knows though! :D ).

[felgall]

From what DrHowardDrFine has posted elsewhere the latest Opera and Firefox alphas have already passed Acid3.

[coolbreezeneu]

LouPhi, the link in your first post has a customized scroll bar. How did you make that happen?