[billswift]

Most of these have been pretty well known or obvious, which is why those that do them have little excuse. But I disagree strongly that #1 is a problem. Some things, like the header in his example, usually should be full width. While others, especially columns of text should be of a fixed maximum width to improve readability. Who cares about blank bars to the sides of the screen? Or at least, who cares as much as they do about struggling to read too wide columns of text?

[ugh]

I think the problem is that things don’t line up when you mix full width and fixed width. It’s not supposed to be an endorsement of either full or fixed width.

[bigiain]

Agreed. I think the fundamental underlying error is not having a reason why a particular elements is fixed or full width.

If you can answer the question "why did you go with a full width header and a fixed width body?", you're probably OK (unless that answer is something like "well, the theme I downloaded from themeforest was fixed width, but the client insisted I use their old header in the new design, so I just mashed it into the template...")

Like most "design errors", I think what the author of e article is ranting about is designs that aren't fully though out - if you've asked yourself the questions "fixed or full width, or both?", "what sized fonts should the forms have?", "how much of the site it going to be long enough to scroll, and do the scroll bars behaviour need to be considered in the design?", then you won't have made these errors, or at least will have good reasons why they are not "errors" but behaviours you chose.

[Joakal]

If you have a wide monitor that displays 1200px or more and the fixed width is 800px, it becomes ugly as it gets bigger. The header needs a maximum-width.

[Stormbringer]

The problem there is the fixed width, not the header. People on big monitors shouldn't have to downsize their windows so that the content doesn't look goofy, that is back-assword.

[jarin]

I think the point of it is that you usually don't need a full-width header, so why mess up the alignment of elements on the page by using one?

[Stormbringer]

No, the point is (or should be) that fixed width on a web page is almost always wrong. It will be either too big, or too small.

It is simply astounding the number of web pages that have poor appearance because the 'designer' never tested them on a different size monitor, or with different size fonts.