Style Sheets

Using Styles in FrontPage
Verifying Pages Read Correctly without Styles
Resources
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Style sheets are used to control the formatting of headings, sub-headings and other textual features of your web site. In FrontPage they are as easy to apply as highlighting the text and selected the desired style from a pull-down menu.

Style sheets are important for accessibility for two reasons. Using a pre-formatted style provides cues to screen readers or users who apply their own style sheets so they can identify the structure you intended. So while using styles is important, it is equally important to make sure that if you take the styles away from your web page all of the text can be read and understood. This ensures that users applying their own styles sheets to your page will still have a successful experience with your web page.

Using Styles in FrontPage

Using styles in FrontPage is as easy as using styles in Microsoft Word. If you've ever selected text and gone up to a pull-down menu which often has the choice "Normal" appearing, and selected a different option, you've used styles.

Besides using the styles to structure your web page with different levels of headings or bulleted lists, you can modify the way a style looks to get the desired results. You can also copy the styles you modify from one web site to another to ensure a consistent look among all of your web pages. We have chosen to show you the use of embedded style sheets, but there are linked and inline styles as well.

Learn to apply styles in FrontPage
Printable/Accessible Version (opens in new window)

Modify styles in FrontPage
Printable/Accessible Version (opens in new window)

Copying modified styles to a new web page in FrontPage
Printable/Accessible Version (opens in new window)

Viewlets require Macromeida Flash Player.

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Verifying Pages Read Correctly without Styles

Although using styles is important for your web pages and offers convenience for both the web page developer and viewer, it is equally important to verify that users who choose to turn off styles can still correctly read your web pages.

The easiest way to do this task is to use a web backwards compatibility site and have it render your web page without style sheets.

1. Visit the backwards compatibility viewer at http://www.delorie.com/web/wpbcv.html
2. Enter your URL in the box provided.
3. Notice that the checkbox in front of style sheets is already cleared, this will turn off style sheets by default.
4. Click the View Page button.
5. Verify that you can still understand and read the text of your web page. If so, you've passed the test.

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Resources

UW-Eau Claire page on FrontPage 2000 Style Sheets

Detailed tutorials on using Style Sheets

Delorie backwards compatibility viewer

Good page on the issue of misuse and dependence of style sheets that makes sites inaccessible

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