Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Fixed-Width Design

If you want more control over the layout of a page, you may opt to design a web page with a fixed width that stays the same for all users, regardless of monitor resolution or browser window size. This approach to web design is based on design principles learned in print, such as a constant grid, the relationship of page elements, and comfortable line lengths. It is a popular approach among the standards-based design crowd as of this writing, but that may only indicate a trend, not that it is the superior approach to web page layout.