To CSS Reset or Not to CSS Reset

Posted on November 14th, 2009 by jason

Q: Which global reset for CSS should I use?

The short answer is the simplest one possible.

The slightly longer answer is that you should reset some styles, but do so with a good reason.

The long answer is that the exact CSS reset you choose will depend on the needs of your design. I like to keep my own reset simple, relying on adding styles to specific tags as needed. However there are several styles that are inconsistent or (in my opinion) poorly set in most browsers that need to be corrected.

The argument for redefining important CSS properties (generally to none or 0) are straight forward:

Reduces bad styles: Undoes some of the questionable and downright annoying styles added by browser manufacturers as well as the styles that simply do not work. One that comes springs to mind is using an outline to highlight items that are in focus such as form fields. While highlighting is useful for keyboard navigation, you should design this yourself.
Eliminates design by default: Sets a level playing field from which to begin a design. Rather than allowing the browser manufacturers dictate how your pages look, you are now in control.
Browser style consistency: Ensures values across all browser types and versions are the same. Since browsers vary their default style values slightly, a good reset will allow your designs to appear with greater consistency, regardless of how your visitor is viewing it.

There are also several counter arguments to be made against a global reset, although I find their logic to be mostly flawed…

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