Hi all.

I'm just getting started with RLM today and becoming concerned about the whole resolution width / breakpoints concept it uses for rendering pages appropriately.

It seems to me that physical screen size is more the issue than resolution size/width, or am I wrong? I mean that a regular 4.5" smartphone will currently have a screen res of up to 1280px when held in landscape (1334px on the new iPhone6) while the much bigger screen iPad2 Tablet measuring many times the physical size (and of which many are still in wide use) has a resolution up to just 1024px.

So I'm concerned that with RLM appropriating simpler layouts for smaller resolutions I'd be making a site that presents more and smaller items per row on the tiny pocket phone - and then fewer, larger items on the much bigger tablet screen. In other words - the wrong way around in that instance.

Example: An Apple iPad mini has a small 8" screen but with a resolution 2080px x 1536, while my dining room Windows PC has a huge 50" plasma with only 1280px x 720 resolution. So I'm trying to work out how RLM designing and adjusting for "screen resolution width" isn't going to scale the website the wrong way around in many cases, putting fewer larger elements per row on physically bigger screens.

Or have I got it all wrong?

Don't worry so much about screen sizes. I like to make my responsive site look good at all widths. This way your ready for anything they come out with in the future.

Andrew, I recognise your worries about screen sizes. When we were new to RLM we were so hung up in certain screen sizes and made the CC staffers go nuts. But you don't need to worry. When you start with a desktop layout and then move the little pointer towards left, you set a break point where your layout starts looking squashed, and then redefine the widths so that it looks ok, then repeat the process until you are down to a mobile size screen.

The programme RLM is made for the future; you never know what screen sizes will appear next week, next month, next year. But with RLM you can make layouts that fits them all, also the future ones.

What she said... ^

What he said about what she said... ^

Yeah, what they all say that I said...

Yep, accepted. I've checked on a few screens and devices and it all just kinda works like you say. I can't figure out how but its probably done with magic and witchcraft. Stuff like that.

It does seem pretty good. Hope I can soon figure how to use it well.

Hey Andrew. Stick with it bud. It is a great tool and you will never use anything else once you get the hang of it. And hey, if you have any problems with it just come on back and ask away. We will be more than happy to help you out if we can.

Thanks Steve, and all above too. I've been looking at CoffeeCups own home page and where they've applied breakpoints. I thought I'd find them at standard screen sizes like 800 or 1200px, 480px for smartphones etc. But they seem quite random. Do you really just add one anywhere - wherever your particular design is getting/looking squashed?

I'm wondering if people have a layout plan they typically work to... particular screen widths and breakpoints they usually design around. That would be useful to know.


There. I've used a smiley.

Yes you are exactly right Andrew. If you take the desktop down approach to design you would create your site in full screen view with no breakpoints added. Get it looking just the way you want. Then when you start to move your slider to the left until your website "breaks". Meaning it becomes to squished, font to large, alignment is off and set a "break point" and fix your alignment/font/other until it looks good again. You will continue moving your slider to the right and adding breakpoints as your design breaks and fix it. Once you get down to the lowest point your website will be 100% future proofed for any screen size they may come out with.