One of the things about websites that really frustrate people is the issue of “screen resolution” on computers, mobile phones and devices. Yes, your photos may look perfect on your laptop set at 1024 x 768 resolution but what do they look disturbingly huge on a desktop computer set at a lower 800 x 600 resolution?

First, you need to understand what screen resolution is and how it works. Basically, computer screens do not work like TV screens at all. When you watch a show on a big screen and then a smaller screen, it looks the same because the TV adjusts the picture accordingly. Unfortunately, computers do not work that way. Different resolutions on different screens will display an image one way on a large desktop computer than on a laptop. For instance, what looks large on a desktop will look small on a laptop. See this article for more info on screen resolution.

The latest trend in web technology is “responsive design” which should alleviate some of these issues with website and image sizes. However, it’s still a progressive technology and there are still obstacles to overcome. We should get there eventually but in the meantime we’re still subject to some of the limitations of screen resolution.