From: Ron Koster <r...@psymon.com>

> Hey, I have a solution: ALL web sites should be created as PDF files! 
> HTML/CSS be damned! With PDF, everything looks *exactly* how you 
> intended, it's zoomable to any factor you want, and prints out 
> perfectly each time, every time.

Every frustrated designer new to the (modern) web reaches this conclusion 
eventually, although at least you didn't suggest one big gif! :-) Of course, 
you're not being serious, but this does highlight the key difference: PDFs, 
etc, are fixed layout formats whilst HTML+CSS is flexible. Obviously, some 
disadvantages come with that flexibility, but the advantages, in particular 
accessibility, are not to be sniffed at. The trouble with the PDF approach, of 
course, is that text does not 'reflow' according to zoom level, so you end up 
having to horizontally scroll at certain font/window sizes, and that makes 
reading a document painful beyond belief. PDF was never really intended for 
screen viewing, but as a printable format, which explains this alternative 
approach.

There's possibly an argument here relating to the standard browser behaviour 
for 'minimum font size'. Browsers currently 'round up' any fonts below that 
size to the minimum. It would be an interesting alternative approach (possibly 
configurable) to *scale up all fonts* until they're at least that minimum, so, 
at least, everything remains in proportion. This would solve your subscript 
issue but, I fear, could well end up breaking inflexible designs. Either way, 
it's not really a practical solution just yet, but something to mull over :-)

- Bobby

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