Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Liquid Layouts

Web pages are fluid by default. The behavior of the “normal flow” of a web document is to flow into the browser window, filling all available space in the canvas area. When the browser window is resized, the elements reflow to adapt to the new dimensions. Many designers make a conscious decision to construct pages that adapt to the stretching and shrinking of browser windows. This approach comes with advantages and disadvantages.