Skinny layouts are exactly what it says, skinny. They are usually less than 200 pixels wide, and are pretty long. Text is generally tiny and everything is scrunched. These layouts serve the purpose of being clean and organized, and generally cutesy.
Why would anyone want a layout that is all scrunched up and hard to read? Because its clean. Some people prefer to have tiny organized text, versus large glaring text and modules. Skinny layouts make it easy for people who like organization, to keep things organized. Sure you might not be able to read the 6 to 8 point font, but at least its not overwhelmingly huge text either. Skinny layouts are often seen as "scene" and "fashionable". Trendy people flock for these layouts, and love using them!
Skinny layouts are quite popular, especially for the female population. Skinny layout creators usually adore the cute side of things. A lot of people forget that these layouts are created by real people, some can be generated, but essentially they are made by human beings that adore HTML graphic design. Skinny layout designers are usually willing to make something custom or you.
While Skinny layouts are irresistible functional, clean, and sleek, they also bring along some downsides. They negative aspects are generally small and unimportant for most, but if you are not careful they can cause a headache. Not all designers use the same browser, computer, or code format. So skinny layouts always have the possibility of being a bit "faulty" or glitch-y. Make sure to test your code, or ask the original creator to edit a few things for you.
Skinny layouts can be downloaded or "copied and pasted" from almost any website. My favorite is probably Createblog.com and looking for individual designers. Individual designers often offer better options and choices than just "mainstream" ones. Createblog offers tons of free options! Just ask around, a lot of designers are willing to create slim line layouts and for all of your skinny layout needs!
Closing Comments
Skinny layouts are a wonderful choice for anyone that likes simplicity and beauty combined. If you choose one, choose a skinny layout that looks right with your browser. Some do not work well with certain browsers, so be sure to check!
