Margins & Gutters

From MobileDesign

this is a stub and needs to be expanded you are free to do so if you know anything about the topic.

Margins on some mobile applications, and websites, are far too large. Unlike print, signage and (in general) desktop interactive media, but in many ways like TV, the bezel of the device serves as a margin for the content.

Therefore, only a small margin around the outside of the screen is needed to provide for mismatches, overscan (screen being overlapped by bezel) and parallax (for devices with inset screens, the bezel can mask part of the screen at some angles). 5 pixels has been a satisfactory value for this. Larger pixel counts will be needed as resolution density increases. 1-1.5 mm seems a valid absolute size for this.

Some elements, like scrollbars, can be zero pixels from the screen edge, or touching it with no margin.

[edit] Gutters

The space between columns of text or rows of tabular data is the gutter. I suspect there are some standards to be derived around gutter width, but I don't have them right now. Remind me later.