Why does my web page look different when I use different computers and web browsers?

Because HTML was designed for an environment common to different platforms (e.g., Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X, the X Window System) and configurations unique to each user, a web page will not look the same on all computers. When designing your pages, keep in mind that users will have different browser window sizes set and may even configure their browsers to have different font, text, link, and background characteristics. If your page looks right only if the browser window is a certain width and uses a certain font, you should reconsider its layout.

Remember that not all browsers are the same. There are tags that some browsers will read but that other browsers won't understand, e.g., Java, floating images, frames, or I-frames. To learn more about which browsers support which features of HTML, visit Webmonkey's Windows Browser Chart. The browser chart at this location is for Windows-based browsers, but the page also contains links to browser charts for other operating systems.

If you are using style sheets (CSS), be aware that different browsers interpret style sheets very differently, particularly text size. To learn more about how different browsers interpret text size specifications, visit Webmonkey's Web Typography Tutorial - Lesson 2.

It is essential to look at your pages with several browsers, including text-based ones such as Lynx. Numerous HTML style guides are available that will help you optimize your page for both appearance and legibility across browsers.

Also see:

• What is HTML, and where can I find a guide for creating HTML documents?