Re: [csswg-drafts] [css-values] Ability to address actual physical size

@patrickhlauke I like some of your thinking with the viewport tool, 
but it also seems to put a lot of faith in how closely CSS pixels on 
most devices tend to match the spec’s reverse-justified definition of 
0.0213 degrees. In most cases, devices do _not_ render CSS pixels at 
the spec-accurate size when their displays are viewed from the 
intended viewing distance. But this is a bit of a digression.

There will always be some amount of inferring unless there is a 
specific viewing distance that can be detected/reported. In the mean 
time, regardless of if physical size is used for inferring viewing 
distance, there are still all the other previously-mentioned 
situations where physical size would still be just as 
useful/necessary.

One very basic example that @frivoal brushed aside is the issue of 
what happens when you hit the print button on your browser. Currently,
 even if you have a print-specific stylesheet with sizes set in 
“absolute” units like inches, almost all print output that is 
initiated in a browser will send something off to the printer that 
doesn’t match the specified sizing, instead utilizing CSS pixel sizing
 logic, usually in unpredictable ways. Unless there is a way to 
explicitly address physical units, there will likely not be any 
support for accurate print formatting within the output flow that most
 of the general public will ever use to print a web document (i.e. 
hitting the print button in a browser).

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Received on Tuesday, 15 November 2016 08:33:42 UTC