Windows text size

[iamsnowdog]

ClappDiCO Test Site (http://www.alldavis.com/clappdico/company.html)

Ok, so I have decided to use all my new CSS knowledge to design a new website. Everything is going great. I even learned how to cross-platform build so it looks the same in Netscape (although I haven't done this for the above link just yet - I design my sites in IE first). It seems to me I have gotten to a point where there are no other bugs or problems to worry about. I have finally crossed over to a higher plane of web design where I can control everything that visitors will see no matter what browser or setting they use (well, I can dream can't I?).

Anyway:

I have set all my <div>s to a set text/font size (mostly 12pt) and this ignores anyone who has changed the default text size using the setting in the view menu of IE (not sure about Netscape just yet). This works great and I think looks great too. Dropdown menus are working - layered images are, um, layering, text stays in the same place no matter what font size I choose .......

Then this happens:

My client is one of the few people on the planet who has gone in and changed the font size of his display properties in Windows control panel to large font size. Now all the <div>s containing text are too large to fit in the area I set and they overlap each other.

What is a web designer to do?
My client thinks I am an idiot because of this because he "doesn't have this problem on any other site even high school kids he knows". I am seriously thinking of getting out of this business and ripping up his check unless someone, somewhere can help me.

Is there anyway around a persons Windows display font size or do I have to go back to using square boring tables?

Please view the page - you can see how well CSS works - with the right display properties that is.

ClappDiCO Test Site (http://www.alldavis.com/clappdico/company.html)

! HELP !

[Zach Elfers]

If you use a value like 15px, instead of 12pt, every thing should be okay. The problem is, now his font won't be enlarged, but at least everything would look good.

[iamsnowdog]

I knew I could get an easy answer here.

Thanks Zach - that worked great

Now I can sleep at nights

:0)

[Stefan]

Originally posted by Zach Elfers
If you use a value like 15px, instead of 12pt, every thing should be okay.

That solution ONLY works on IE/Win. EVERY other modern CSS capable browser out the will CORRECTLY change the fontsize even if you provide it in pixel units. That INCLUDES IE on Mac.

Zach, PLEASE, at least CHECK if what you say is correct before you give advice. I alsmot dayly spot you saying things that are incorrect and that would have taken you a maximum of 2 minutes to find out yourself if you made a testcase first.

[Stefan]

Originally posted by iamsnowdog
ClappDiCO Test Site (http://www.alldavis.com/clappdico/company.html)

Is there anyway around a persons Windows display font size or do I have to go back to using square boring tables?



You problem is a classical beginner misstake when working with CSS, overusing absolute positioning.

By know you are also well familear with the consequences, it breaks the page horrendeously when things are not exactly as you assume.

The REAL solution to you problems is to start from scratch and make a layout that does NOT rely on absolute positioning of every single thing on the page. Then the page will reflow and adapt itself whatever font-size and the visitor uses. There is no shortcut here that works.