CSS Layouts: 40+ Tutorials, Tips, Demos and Best Practices
- Posted in CSS, TUTORIAL
- 98 Comments »
The main idea behind CSS-based layouts is offering more flexibility and enhancing the visual experience of visitors. Some important tips and related key-factors can help to learn basics and keep essential techniques in mind. And this is what this article is all about. Finding the perfect Layout that have Total Flexibility, Equal Height Columns and just works fine.
So we’ve decided to take a deep look at articles about CSS-based layouts and the result was a list of 40 tutorials, resources and best practices offering gorgeous and valid CSS-based Layouts.
You might be interested to check other CSS related posts:
- 9 Timeless 3 Column Layout Techniques
- The 7 CSS Hacks that we should use
- Using CSS to Do Anything: 50+ Creative Examples and Tutorials
- Using CSS to Fix Anything: 20+ Common Bugs and Fixes
CSS Layout Tutorials
1-Three column fixed layout structure using CSS- This post explains how to realize an HTML/CSS basic structure to design a simple three column fixed page layout with standard elements (logo top bar, navigation bar, text stage, center column for post categories and right column to insert Google AdSense 120X600 ads), to use in your projects.
2-Design page layout using CSS- How to design page’s layout for your site using a css file.
3-How To Create a Horizontally Scrolling Site- Different techniques for creating horizontally scrolling layouts.
- Live Example View it Here | Download
4-Super Simple Two Column Layout- Different techniques for creating horizontally scrolling layouts.
- Live Example View it Here | Download
5-Simple 2 column CSS layout- This is a tutorial on how to use CSS to create a simple two column layout. The layout consists of a header, a horizontal navigation bar, a main content column, a sidebar, and a footer. It is also horizontally centered in the browser window.
- Live Example View it Here
6-The holy grail layout – 3 columns and a lot less problems - This is a article discuss the three columns – two fixed-width sidebars and a fluid center column, all while keeping the markup clean and semantic, and most importantly well structured.
- Live Example View it Here
7-CSS Centering 101- How to center a fixed-width layout using CSS
<body>
<div id="container">
...entire layout goes here...
</div>
</body>
Using CSS, the following two rules force whatever is contained within #container to be centered:
body {
text-align: center;
}
#container {
margin: 0 auto;
width: xxxpx;
text-align: left;
}
8-Creating a CSS layout from scratch- This guide will attempt to take you step by step, through the process of creating a fully functioning CSS layout.
9-Multi-Column Layouts Climb Out of the Box- Multiple columns, equal column heights, fixed or liquid center column, clean markup, and CSS.
- Live Example View it Here
10- In search of the One True Layout- Total Layout Flexibility, Equal Height Columns, Vertical placement of elements across grids/columns. This article shows how to achieve each of these goals, and then how to combine them, creating what could be called the One True Layout
- Live Example View it Here
11-From PSD to HTML, Building a Set of Website Designs Step by Step-The entire process of getting from Photoshop to completed HTML.
- Live Example View it Here | Download files
12- 5 Tips for coding xhtml/css layouts- These are few tips that could help you out in the transition from table-based web design to standards compliant css based layouts.
13-Designing a CSS based template- This is the start of a step-by-step based tutorial about how to create a CSS based template page. This will be a tutorial consisting of several parts: part 1 covers the creation of the navigation buttons in Photoshop CS*, the 2nd part will be the creation of the background, next on the list is the header and layout of the page and the final part will be the implementation in CSS and XHTML.
14-Breaking Out of the Box With CSS Layouts- If you understand how the grid works, you can fracture or abstract that grid to make your layout more dynamic and interesting. In achieving this goal (while supporting flexibility and maintainability), CSS designs have so much more to offer than table-based layouts. Jina Bolton explains how to acheive this goal.
15-Advanced CSS Layouts: Step by Step- The ultimate goal of this tutorial is to create a CSS layout that exactly resembles the WebReference.com layout made with tables and also behaves well with small window sizes and large fonts.
16-6 Keys to Understanding Modern CSS-based Layouts-
These are the six things that will help people understand CSS-based layouts: Box Model, Floated Columns, Sizing Using Ems, Image Replacement, Floated Navigation and Sprites.
17-Are you making these common blog layout mistakes?-
Discussing 4 mistakes in basic blog layout are all too common and all too easy to fix.
18-Page Layout-
A practical guide for positioing and floating elements in a CSS page layout.
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: Absolute Position within a relative box, two floated boxes and using a border to provide the background for a column.
19-Site in an Hour- Making Simple Work of Complex CSS Layouts
The best Layouts Resources
Most of these demonstrations can be used without asking for permission. However, some will require email approval first. Just check each site for the copyright requirements before use.
20-Sample CSS Page Layouts- Here are a range of CSS page layouts, including 2 column and 3 column layouts.
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: Liquid three column layout, Left aligned, set width and Liquid insanity.
21-The Perfect 3 Column Liquid Layout (Percentage widths)- No CSS hacks. SEO friendly. No Images. No JavaScript. Cross-browser & iPhone compatible.
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: Liquid three column layout, Left aligned, set width and Liquid insanity.
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: 3 columns fixed
centered, fixed Box totally
centered and 3 columns, all
dynamic.
23-IM Layouts- IM Layouts is a simple CSS layout system. IM Layouts offer full Grade-A browser support.
- For Live Examples, you can also check these layouts: The Holy Grail 3 Column Layout, The Classic Blog Layout and The Multi Column Layout.
24-CSSplay - CSS Layout Listing
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: Cross browser FIXED, Three columns and CSS Frame – The Holy Grill.
25-Layoutgala - Getting the maximum number of layouts based on the same markup, each with valid CSS and HTML, without hacks nor workaround and a good cross-browser compatibility. The result is a set of 40 layouts.
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: Three fixed Columns, Three percentage columns and Liquid, three columns, hybrid widths .
26-Glish- Many useful cross-browser CSS layout techniques
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: 3 columns, the holy grail, 2 columns, ALA style and 3 columns, all fluid .
27-Thenoodleincident- CSS Boxes going from a simple single box, through 3 columns with a full width top box, all with variations.
28-The Layout Reservoir- Many useful CSS layout techniques
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: 2 columns – left menu, 3 columns – flanking menus and Auto-width Margins .
29-The only CSS layout you need- In this article you are presented to ten different layouts with example pages, all based on the same HTML.
- For Live Examples, you can check these layouts: Three column CSS layout – left and right menu, Two column CSS layout – top and left menu and Three column CSS fluid layout: 100% width.
30-Yet Another Multicolumn Layout- is an (X)HTML/CSS framework for creating modern and flexible floated layouts. The structure is extremely versatile in its programming and absolutely accessible for end users.
- Download YAML here.
31-Liquid Designs- Liquid Designs is a gallery of websites designed with liquid layouts using XHTML and CSS
Best Practices
Also if you are looking for inspiration for CSS-based layout designs, you will find a nice collection of websites below. These sites show how css layouts can be applied on various type of sites. Check out how the layout can be divided into 2 columns, 3 columns, a mixture of narrow and wide columns.
32-Helldesign
34-OS communications informatiques
35-Rockatee
136-Darrenhoyt
38-Elitetheme
Nice overview! And thx for post the MBW Page!
Nice collection! I have a similar post here
http://acomment.net/creating-css-layouts-the-best-tutorials-on-converting-psd-to-xhtml/76
Great selection! I’m sure these links will come in handy. ;)
Great list of resources. These will definitely come in handy when I am working on websites. Thanks!
Thanks, great resource.
great checklist dude! keep shared.
This is a good collection for css layout!
i’m always surprised when you find french website…
were you lost ?
Very nice collection. Thanks!
Excellent! Nice tutorial. thanks for the examples.
JT
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
you guys are doing what i wish smashing magazine still did: creating ultra-useful lists and best of’s. keep it up.
Excellent collection. CSS can sometimes be difficult to just jump into without any prior knowledge. Its nice to have a handy resource to use.
I’m always on a lookout for to increase my CSS experience and resources. Thanks for this article. Definitely will be of quite a help for me.
Very nice compilation of resources. Thank you.
Wow! A great tut, stumbled…
i like it it’s too fine
Even though I am already into web designing for quite a long time, this information is still helpful upto a large extent.
More great stuff! Always love reading your articles!
Very useful list….
Thanks a lot for your efforts, such a useful post! and nice examples
Just bookmarked it.
Good list, but some pieces are old and have been on many lits like these before.
Thanks for the great tips!
You forgot how to use CSS on SVG
Good work there :)
Great resource as usual!! top drawer.
Impressive collection. Bookmarked. Keep up the good job.
Awesome Thansk!
great roundup of layouts and a superb job of explaining by drawing on white paper.
well done
verry good collection, could come in handy.
Thanks
Max | Design Shard
Excelent. You should take a look here also: http://www.onecss.com
Thank you
Nice collection. Kudos!
Another Great CSS Collection. Really Useful for CSS newbies like me. Thanks a lot
Well put together list. Thanks!
Great Tips! Designers looking for an FTP replacement tool may have interest in: http://www.singlewrench.com
this is a very good list, thanks for that
Truly, Beautiful list. I will use this… The Bright Creative is quite interesting!
Nice tutorials, perhaps you could post them on Yobler as well
You forgot about mine!
Wow…. Great list, thanks.
Bookmarked it for later :)
Wow! fantastic list, lots of reading material and inspiration.
Thank your for this useful selection. I`ll bookmarked it. :)
Great list,thank you Noupe
Great resource.
Many Thanks!
Some very interesting layouts, I’m sure they will come in handy.
Thanks for sharing. You are really working hard for us.
Great roundup guys, awesome work. Some good inspiration here.
Matt Hanson
adadada