Setting text in pixels

Many designers specify font sizes in pixels, largely because pixels are the only measurement
that allows you to be relatively certain that your text will look pretty much identical
across various browsers and platforms (in the same way that sizing page sections in pixels
enables you to keep output consistent). Unfortunately, unlike every other major browser
on the market, Internet Explorer for Windows cannot resize pixel-based text, which creates
an accessibility problem (although a user can choose to ignore font sizes via the littleknown
accessibility controls). Internet Explorer’s Text Size menu only allows resizing of text
sized using legacy methods, keywords, or relative units other than pixels. (Note that
Internet Explorer 7 can zoom the entire page, but not the text alone.)
Therefore, if you decide to size text in pixels, ensure that your text is very readable. Test it
on various people and listen to feedback. If complaints come your way regarding the fact
that someone “had trouble reading the words,” or rooted around for a microscope before
giving up and playing solitaire, you need to increase your pixel size settings. The resulting
page might not look quite as “designery,” but at least people will be able to read it.