nav button distorts on different screen res

[Cambria7]

Hi:
I created a simple rectagular nav button with a beveled contrast border using my computer(image was saved as a gif). My monitor is set at a high resolution and it looks nice. When I checked my page on a different terminal set at 800x600 resolution, the buttons were blurry and fat. How can I design a nav button in Xara that looks nice and clear for people using 800x600 res. My viewsonic monitor will not allow me to change my setting to 800x600 ,it flickers, so I can't create and see the work in the 800x600 environment. I was a surprised to see such a large change when I tested on the other monitor. Thanks, Andrea

[Soquili]

Hi Andrea,

You did not mention what is the dot pitch of the other person's monitor.

In CRT monitors there are different dot pitch values. It is normal for a button designed on a monitor running 1024 x 768 or higher resolution to show bigger on one at 800 x 600. If there is also blurring or fuzziness the issue is either a dot pitch that is more grainy than yours or the monitor is not properly focused.

If the dot pitch is the same as your monitor then the problem is most likely poor focus. Some CRT monitors have the ability to do some focusing using the on screen display others require a technician to open the monitor and adjust the focus.

Never open a monitor and attempt to make any adjustments. CRT monitors have several thousand volts in them and are a hazardous environment for a none trained person.

[gwpriester]

800 x 600 is stone age. It is like VGA I think.

I don't think anything is going to look very good at that resolution.

Gary

[ss-kalm]

800 x 600 is stone age...........

Gary,

You would be very surprised at the number of non-tech-savvy computer users who still use 800 x 600 (or even UURRGGHH 640 x 480). The users in our office who say they "prefer it like that" distress me for the future of our race.

[gwpriester]

Keith

Then there is no hope for mankind.

[Egg Bramhill]

When I checked my page on a different terminal set at 800x600 resolution, the buttons were blurry and fat. How can I design a nav button in Xara that looks nice and clear for people using 800x600 res.

Basically you can't. Searching the web for the latest stats it would appear that less than 10% of web users now use 600 x 800 resolution But like so much on the web this data isn't dated so it's hard to pin down an actual figure. Even if it is dated, the data doesn't show geographical spread for resolution use so it's even harder to evaluate.

The first thing to bear in mind is that you use and prefer a high resolution (you don't say what resolution). Equally other folks prefer to have their 24" monitor set to 800 x 600 resolution. There used to it and are happy that way. To them you're graphic appears quite acceptable as that is what their display provides all the time, i.e. the Blurry and Fat graphic you think horrendous.

Try changing your own monitor to 800 x 600 display and notice how everything becomes Blurry and Fat.

[Cambria7]

Hi:
I understand your reply and it did make me chuckle. I did surf the web on the 800x600 machine and large ecommerce sites don't have the amount of distortion I noted when viewing my test site (mine was bad... real bad). Is a solution using redirects and creating pages for different resolutions? Banks and other big name sites fill the screen and still have clear graphics. I'm glad I didn't quit my day job. Web design is tough. Andrea

[raynerj1]

You will be surprised by the number of folks that still use 600x800. Most folks are not professional computer people even if they use them all day long. They do not invest the money in anything over the bare minimum to do the job.

Basically... Before you design a web site you have to think of your audiance. Younger folks with younger eyes will use a higher resolution on their monitors. Business folk and most home users will typically leave their monitors at whatever resolution they bought them in. The older folks (the ones with the money... )and the bad eyesight do not care for even 1024X768 on a 17" screen. I have seen business users running 640X480 on a 19" CRT. Then using a large type to make the fonts even bigger.

A well designed site will have the same feel no matter what resolution the monitor is set at. Think of web page design as engineering on quicksand. Everything has to stay in the same relative place, the white space just changes...

I have had no problems with any of the navigation buttons I have created in xara. Which export type are you using? Jpg will create some very fuzzy small type... Tell us a little more specifics, or give us a link to your site/post a button here.