Theoretical Approach of Pixel Perfect Design and In Practice

Website designing is a vast field. There are various methods and technologies to design a digital web. But the web designers have more or less a standardized option to choose from fixed designing or fluid designing for a website.

In fluid design the width is flexible and the layouts change according to the browser's window. In fixed web design the entire web page is fixed with precise and specific dimensions by web designers.

Fixed width design or perfect pixel design may appear like an old school approach. However, perfect pixel design enables web designers to have a better hold on the final appearance of the page in particular situations.

Depending on the requirement the decision is made, and then the rest comes on a platter.

In this article, we will discuss more about the pixel perfect technology. You will learn the clients' approach towards pixel perfect in theory and in practice.

What is a pixel-perfect-design?

Pixel perfect design or fixed design is a professional approach in which designers give attention to each pixel that gives the best results with the cleanest and sharpest appearance of the website.

Customers' understanding on Pixel Perfect web design

Most of the customers are of the impression that pixel perfect web design makes the website look perfect in multiple browsers and the website is made compatible with other browsers.

Reality check on Pixel Perfect!

Achieving the perfection in looks on different browsers is not impossible, but comes with a lot of time, effort and money into it. It provides better usability with sleek and consistent looks. But there are many drawbacks too.

Things can't be pixel perfect easily and pixel perfect web design is a challenge. In the pursuit of perfection, every pixel perfect feature we demand consumes a lot of time. When you need something that is pixel perfect, it needs moar code to make sure each browser is pixel perfect. This time can be better utilised to build other functionalities of the website and in bug fixing.

Despite the problems, we can't let go of the idea of pixel perfect. It is for those clients who want a pixel perfect web design for the browser of their interest. They can minimize the difference and make it compatible on other browsers by reworking on it. If the developer follows the guidelines properly, they make the web look pretty close on different browsers and more importantly, consistent.

Photoshop which is a very popular image type, only opens up in a single format. With the limitations in pixel perfect, what do you do with multiple browsers that do not show the pixel perfect design exactly the same.

Hence the clients need to understand that it is not always possible to achieve pixel to pixel replication on each browser. The developers can however work to get the closest look possible. Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are the most preferred tools these days that are helping many to get the desired output. Adobe XD, Sketch, etc. are some of the various tools used.

Considering the dilemma that the pixel perfect design is carrying along, pixel perfect is firstly done on one browser and then work is done to ensure that it works successfully on other browsers, that have different spacing, fonts, etc.

Developers are using the modern pixel perfect techniques for maximum accuracy and meeting the exact requirements of the clients.

Here are some of the pixel perfect techniques that designers can use.

1. Pixel Fitting

This technique is used for porting optimised vector graphics from Adobe Illustrator to Photoshop without impacting its quality. It enables designers to take microscopic control of Photoshop and use vector graphics effectively. They then create vector based digital design to avoid anti-aliasing imperfections, which is often a result of porting graphics.

Pixel perfect experts adhere to the best practice and a distinct process creating a path in the shape layer during pasting vector graphics from illustrator into Photoshop. This helps them achieve graphics that are close to the original physical pixels.

2. Pixel Hinting

Designers use this technique to have perfect pixel alignment. This solution is used to effectively remove uninvited anti-aliasing.

3. Nudging and smashing pixel rotation

It is an advanced technique which can manipulate the components or elements of pixel-perfect designs. You don't need to break them up in the pixel process and disturbing pixels. Hence, it saves time and money without having to redo everything on a design which is already completed. This way you can get the highest quality pixel perfect design with no blurry mess.

We hope after reading this, you have gotten a fair idea on pixel perfect design. In the present web scenario with constant practice and perfectly executing the techniques you can achieve the aspired design. But if you want professional help from a web design company to craft a pixel perfect website, our professionals can help you with their expertise.