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CSS

Posted by hollan
hollan
917 Points

Is it best to set margins in em or percentage?

Would em's be better so the spacing would change in relation to the font size? Would it ever make much difference which you used?

3 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
243,898 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
243,898 Points

If the containing element is not width-constrained, it would make a big difference. Spacing by em's would be relative to the font size, but by percentage would be relative to the window size.

Nadia Masiero
Nadia Masiero
3,468 Points
Nadia Masiero
Nadia Masiero
3,468 Points

If you are using em for other dimensions then use em for the margins and padding as well so that those gaps stay proportional to the text.

The only thing where you have to use px is for a minimum width border.

dman10345
dman10345
7,109 Points
dman10345
dman10345
7,109 Points

em's would be your best bet as it is relative to your font size and thus you can keep proportions correct. It doesn't always make a huge difference however using percentages can cause some funky results sometimes and generally em's are more predictable.