Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Killer Tips

When you create a new Flash document, the movie size is always set to a default size of 550x400 pixels. It may seem like an arbitrary size, but it actually makes sense. The most common screen size used to be 640x480, and if you're looking at Flash in a browser, many pixels are taken up by the browser window itself. Setting the movie to 550x400 made certain that everyone could see your entire movie. Now the more common screen size is 800x600, which will soon be replaced by yet a larger size. So asking "What size should I make my movies?" is a great question. The answer is that there is no single answer. You'll want to ask yourself the following questions first: "What will my movie be? A button, a toolbar, an entire site, and so on..." and "What kind of screens will the average user of my movie have?"

When you know this, you can decide on the best dimensions for your movie. Be sure to always build movies for the least common denominator of your target audience. This ensures that everyone will be included. It also can be tough to resize a document after you'-done the work, so take some time and choose your size carefully.