Further question re font size

[Michael Laplante]

Of the various ways of stipulating font size -- px, em, ex, %, etc -- how do
they all react to re-sizing? I.e. when the user re-sizes the fonts which
method produces the most or least dramatic effect on the font? What "fomula"
do browsers use to determine the change in text size applied when the user
demands it? Lots of reading over the past two days hasn't revealed an answer
to that question.

Does that make sense?

M

 

[ironcorona]

Of the various ways of stipulating font size -- px, em, ex, %, etc -- how do
they all react to re-sizing? I.e. when the user re-sizes the fonts which
method produces the most or least dramatic effect on the font? What "fomula"
do browsers use to determine the change in text size applied when the user
demands it? Lots of reading over the past two days hasn't revealed an answer
to that question.

Does that make sense?

A good rule of thumb is to use the %, em or ex. Since they refer to a
percentage of whatever the default (chosen by the user) is. As far as I
can remember increasing or decreasing the size in the browser is
standard among all the dimension types.

It was created so the user could increase or decrease the size of the
font, particularly where the author has taken it upon himself to
overrule the reader's defaults, and as such the all have the same "effect".

 

[Jim Moe]

Of the various ways of stipulating font size -- px, em, ex, %, etc -- how do
they all react to re-sizing? I.e. when the user re-sizes the fonts which
method produces the most or least dramatic effect on the font? What "fomula"
do browsers use to determine the change in text size applied when the user
demands it?

No choice of unit has any more effect on scaling than any other.
The px and pt units are fixed sizes. IE is probably correct in not
changing the font size when the user changed it in the browser. Other
browsers do so anyway because deezyners frequently choose a font size so
small most people have trouble reading it.
The other units--%, em, ex--are relative to the user's chosen default
size (usually 16px). They are scaled appropriately. The "formula" is
simple: current-size * scale-factor. E.g.: 1.2em * 130% = 1.56em

 

[Neredbojias]

To further the education of mankind, "Michael Laplante"

Of the various ways of stipulating font size -- px, em, ex, %, etc --
how do they all react to re-sizing? I.e. when the user re-sizes the
fonts which method produces the most or least dramatic effect on the
font? What "fomula" do browsers use to determine the change in text
size applied when the user demands it? Lots of reading over the past
two days hasn't revealed an answer to that question.

Does that make sense?

Here is the rub. As font sizes increase, the absolute difference between
the previous and new also increases. Do you see how than can cause a
problem with "stabilizing"?

 

[dorayme]

Of the various ways of stipulating font size -- px, em, ex, %, etc -- how do
they all react to re-sizing? I.e. when the user re-sizes the fonts which
method produces the most or least dramatic effect on the font? What "fomula"
do browsers use to determine the change in text size applied when the user
demands it? Lots of reading over the past two days hasn't revealed an answer
to that question.

Does that make sense?

M

Are you asking what % increase or decrease do browsers use to
respond to a command by the user to "Make text bigger" or "Make
text smaller". OK, let me look on Safari:

Normal for me of a simple phrase I am looking at on my screen is
3cm. Looking it at a click bigger: 4cm. One more click: 4.3cm.
One more: 5.1 That is horiz. Do like this and spreadshgeet the
results for different browsers, graph the results, figure it all
out.

Want it in pxs? Easy enough, do same but snap (restricted
screenshot) and px size will come up in the image editor (crop
accurately now, won't you?).

There is likely no one answer to all this across all browsers.
And you will not make any better websites in the slightest by
knowing the fine details. But as a question, it shows a fine
sense of idle curiosity.

 

[Barbara de Zoete]

Of the various ways of stipulating font size -- px, em, ex, %, etc --
how do
they all react to re-sizing?

Why don't you set up a page, using these various units in one document,
and then test that page in all the free browsers out there, that you can
get your hands on? That way you'll actually see what happens.