If you’ve used a word processor such as Microsoft WordTM or Open OfficeTM, then most of the functionality will seem familiar.
When creating your page content, there are a few things you should always keep in mind:
- There are various web browsers currently in use, all have their own quirks and ways of displaying your content.
- Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome and Opera are the most popular, but there are others.
- The screen size people will be viewing your content on may vary considerably, from as small as 800×600 pixels to 1900×1200 pixels and greater. However, it is fair to assume that your average user will have a screen size of 1024×768 or greater.
- The range of fonts available on a user’s computer may be different from yours, so don’t rely on a user having a particular font on their computer.
In short, you cannot always guarantee that your content will look exactly the same on someone else’s computer. - The look and feel of your website is usually dictated by a Style Sheet (known as CSS, or Cascading Style Sheet). These style sheets tell a user’s web browser how to display the standard formats such as Headings, Paragraphs and Tables.
- A considerable amount of effort will have been taken to ensure these style sheets make your website look the same on all the major browsers. Wherever possible, you should keep to these standard styles in order that your pages will be displayed consistently across the various browsers, and will retain the same style as the rest of your website.