Pixel Perfect

Pixel Perfect layout is a special technique for creating an HTML code structure that enables the HTML template to match the original layout pixel for pixel as closely as possible. When the HTML template is superimposed on the PSD layout, the graphic elements, images, and text should match perfectly.

Why you need Pixel Perfect layout

Imagine a designer drew you a beautiful layout in Figma. You liked it very much, you paid for the work and gave it to the codifier.

The layout designer created the site and sent it to you. But you don’t like the result – “something is wrong”. The site seems to be similar to the design, but it looks different. While fonts, colors, images – everything fits.

In this case, help Pixel Perfect layout. When the coder works on this principle, he checks himself. Literally superimposes two layers – the design and the finished site.

As a result, fonts are not floating, the distance between lines and letters is the same, icons are the same size. The site turns out exactly as the designer conceived and approved by the client.

How accurate should pixel-perfect layout be

The term pixel-perfect appeared long ago, when the number of screen sizes was small. Now they have grown to thousands – smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, televisions, and smart watches. It is almost impossible to create a pixel-perfect layout for all devices. The main task of the developer becomes to keep the style of the site created by the designer on different resolutions.

In addition, pixel-perfect layout can lead to an increase in the amount of code. The site becomes heavier, slow to load. This problem is often due to designer’s mistakes. For example, he indicated a different indentation or typeface, and the customer requires a perfect match. In this case, pixel-perfect is meaningless, it is a waste of resources.

Today, this technique is being replaced by Look & Feel. In the context of web design, it means how one sees the design in terms of UI and how one feels it in terms of functionality and interactivity.

It’s cool if the layout designer understands the design, understands which elements are critical. With this approach designer and layout designer work together and make a good product together.