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CSS CSS Basics (2014) Understanding Values and Units Rem Units

alan ingram
PLUS
alan ingram
Courses Plus Student 3,979 Points
Posted by alan ingram
alan ingram
Courses Plus Student 3,979 Points

What would be rem best practice?

I have seen people do something like put a font-size in the css file for html or body and set it to 14px or 16px, then use rems throughout the css file. Is that a better or easier way to use rems? Or is it just a more predictable way to make sure everything is based purely on that root size? Basically, would that work?

2 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points

A "font-size" setting only affects "rem" units if the selector applies it to the document root (":root" or "html").

If so, it should work just as you expect. But it's more common to use relative (em) units to make it easier to make changes in different sections of the page at a later time.

alan ingram
PLUS
alan ingram
Courses Plus Student 3,979 Points
alan ingram
alan ingram
Courses Plus Student 3,979 Points

so youre saying that if the file read... html{font-size: 14px;} p{font-size: 1.4rem;} h1{font-size: 2.12rem;} so on and so forth{font-size: .75rem;}

would be the best way to go about it?

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points

Sure, if you need a root reference. But em's are more common (and more flexible).