Official website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Foundations

Grid

Consistent layouts make it easier to design, build, and use websites. The column layout grid uses 12 columns to organize content. 

Simple outline of a grid layout

Overview

The layout grid contains three elements: columns, gutters, and margins.

Illustration of an eight-column layout, with labels for the gutter spaces between columns and the margins at the left and right edges of the viewport.

Column

Columns are always the same width as one another. That width may vary within each breakpoint range. All content should fit within the columns. 

Gutters

Columns have space between them. This defined spacing is called the gutter size. Gutter widths are set within each breakpoint range. This ensures that pages have a consistent visual rhythm. Content should not extend into the gutters. If you need more space between elements, increase padding instead of gutter width. 

Margins

Margins create white space at the edges of the content area. They make it more comfortable to view a page. Each breakpoint has specific margin widths. These scale as the viewport shifts from one breakpoint to the next.

Responsive layouts

Breakpoints

Keystone Design System uses a responsive layout. This relies on the use of breakpoints. Breakpoints define how a page's content and design change for each viewport range.

The responsive grid adjusts based on these breakpoints. The column count, column widths, and margins scale for different viewport ranges. This design system includes four ranges: extra-small, small, medium, and large.

BreakpointRangeColumnsGutterMargin
X-Small0 to 640px4

16px

16px
Small

641 to 991px

8

16px

24px
Medium

992 to 1439px

1224px32px
Large

1440px and up

1224pxAuto

Fluid and fixed grids

We use a fluid grid for extra-small, small, and medium viewport ranges. This means that the columns span 100% of the viewport width. The column widths are defined by percentages instead of a set number of pixels. The margins are fixed based on the viewport size.

We use a fixed grid for any viewport that reaches the large breakpoint (1440 pixels and above). This sets the content area to 1200px. The margins are set to expand to fill any extra vertical space. 

We want to hear from you

We're just getting started with Keystone Design System. If you're an early user, we want your bug reports, questions, and feedback.

 

Complete our form to share your thoughts. You'll need to log in with your PA.gov email. We'll review and consider every response.