Forum Width: How wide?

[Slater]

I was wondering what the ideal Forum width is. Maybe it just depends on the Forum, and it's background image (like on here) or something, too, though.

I currently have mine at 83%, I think. Is that too thin, or too wide?

Here you can also discuss whether you think Forums look better wider or thinner. I definitely think that thin Forums look better. More orderly, I guess...

[Josh]

Well, when designing it's best to use exact amounts. A percentage like that could be 100 pixels wide or it could 2000 pixels wide depending on the monitor. I prefer sizes between 720 and 765. Though, I am designing a skin at 800 right now.

[Assassinator/Young Everest]

*how wide
(grammatical thing)

I like 700px.
That's what I always design at.

[Oracle]

I use 700px or more for my skins. Looks better, then the basic PB width.

[Slater]

assassinator said:

*how wide
(grammatical thing)

*slaps head* Right. Thanks, I'll change it.

I'll try 700 pixels, I think, and see how that looks.

[Admin]

Well if you have a huge header like we do then you need your fixed width, but these days I think it's better to go 100% so it's more friendly for those on larger resolutions.

[Me]

It all depends. Forum width makes your forum unique.

Templates is at either 92% or 100%, and it really makes them stick out. Then again, a lot of forums do go with 700 px, and they look good for it.

[Nexxia]

Depending on how you lay out your graphics. If you have a lot of fixed width graphics with complex designs that can't work stretched out or repeated, go with a px amount. Anywhere from 700-800 is good in my book.

If you have a simple design, lots of gradients and such, or minimal graphics, try to go with a pixel width of 80-80% I'd think. You don't wanna fill the whole monitor because things become too separated and ruin the movement of your eyes and ease of navigation.