askvity

How to Set Height and Width According to Screen Resolution in CSS?

Published in CSS Responsive Design 3 mins read

To set height and width according to screen resolution in CSS, you primarily use viewport units (vw, vh, vmin, vmax) and media queries. This allows your content to adapt dynamically to different screen sizes.

Here's a breakdown of the methods:

1. Viewport Units

Viewport units are relative to the size of the viewport (the visible area of the browser window).

  • vw (viewport width): 1vw is equal to 1% of the viewport's width.
  • vh (viewport height): 1vh is equal to 1% of the viewport's height.
  • vmin (viewport minimum): 1vmin is equal to the smaller of 1vw and 1vh.
  • vmax (viewport maximum): 1vmax is equal to the larger of 1vw and 1vh.

Example:

.element {
  width: 50vw; /* Element's width will be 50% of the viewport width */
  height: 30vh; /* Element's height will be 30% of the viewport height */
}

This approach ensures the element's dimensions scale proportionally with the screen size.

2. Media Queries

Media queries allow you to apply different CSS rules based on specific screen characteristics, such as width, height, and orientation.

Example:

.element {
  width: 80%; /* Default width */
  height: 200px; /* Default height */
}

/* For screens smaller than 768px wide */
@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .element {
    width: 90%; /* Adjust width for smaller screens */
    height: 150px; /* Adjust height for smaller screens */
  }
}

/* For screens larger than 1200px wide */
@media (min-width: 1200px) {
  .element {
    width: 60%; /* Adjust width for larger screens */
    height: 250px; /* Adjust height for larger screens */
  }
}

In this example, the .element's width and height change based on the screen's width. This allows for fine-grained control over how elements are displayed on different devices.

3. Combining Viewport Units and Media Queries

You can combine viewport units and media queries for even more responsive designs.

Example:

.element {
  width: 70vw; /* Use viewport width as a base */
  height: 40vh; /* Use viewport height as a base */
}

@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .element {
    width: 90vw; /* Adjust viewport width for smaller screens */
    height: auto; /* Allow height to adjust automatically */
  }
}

This approach utilizes viewport units for general responsiveness and media queries for specific adjustments on different screen sizes. Setting height to auto in smaller screens lets the content dictate the height.

4. Considerations

  • max-width and max-height: Limit the maximum size of an element to prevent it from becoming too large on very large screens. For example: max-width: 500px; height: 100px;
  • Content Overflow: Be mindful of content overflowing when adjusting dimensions dynamically. Use overflow: auto; or overflow: scroll; if needed.
  • Testing: Thoroughly test your design on various devices and screen resolutions to ensure it looks as intended. Use browser developer tools to simulate different resolutions.

By using viewport units, media queries, and max-width/max-height, you can effectively create responsive designs that adapt to different screen resolutions, providing a consistent and user-friendly experience across various devices.

Related Articles