Real estate web design and search engine optimization services to drive targeted buyer clients to your web site.

CSS Layout Tips, Tricks, and Resources

While using CSS layout techniques to design your web site does have its advantages, there is an extensive learning curve to get everything just right. You will learn soon enough that the way that Internet Explorer interprets CSS is not always the same as Firefox, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, or Safari. Luckily there are plenty of great CSS resources to be found on the internet.

The best way to initially learn the basics of CSS is to practice each technique as you read through the material. Remember, these are the basics of CSS. As you move through this list you will learn how to apply these design elements to create truly spectacular web sites.

Learning CSS - W3C
A great place to get started with a simple example of CSS layout.

W3 Schools CSS Tutorial
The W3 Schools web site is not only a great place to learn CSS, but it is also a great resource for HTML, XHTML, CSS, browser scripting, server scripting and much more. The site also includes easy to use and navigate references and examples.

Listamatic CSS Menus
Javascript menus can lead to code bloat and significantly increase the size of your HTML files. Not only that, but some search engines still have difficulty navigating javascript menus. You can create great looking, text driven CSS menus with or without graphic images.

Box Model Hack
Not all browsers handle borders and padding in the same manner. This can be especially frustrating when you are new to CSS. The Box Model Hack allows you to format your CSS layout properly so that it renders nearly identical in all browsers.

W3C CSS Validation Service
You should also get into the habit of validating your CSS files to ensure that your pages display as you intended.

CSS Zen Garden: The Beauty of CSS Design
If you really want to see the power of CSS web design, the CSS Zen Garden contains many incredible layouts all using the same site content. Of course, the incredible graphics on some of the designs really make the sites "pop". You can also download the CSS and HTML files of each design so that you can study each of the techniques that are used.

A List Apart
A List Apart contains the latest articles, information, and techniques on CSS web design.

You are also welcome to download our CSS file to see some of the techniques that we have employed. We do ask that you please keep in mind that this file is copyrighted material - you can use it as a reference but please do not use it as a template.