This is one of our much older page layouts - maximizing content space even within a fixed width. Based much more on straight html it is a bit more code heavy than some but still has its uses as a basis for some applications. Our other newer examples are much more modern in type - perhaps the ''lightest'' version being Our Opening Page with pages Two and Three also reflecting newer and "themed" looks. Another useful option we can use permits saving of page space

A useful option for extra page content.

Sometimes a page layout is not totally flexible and there can be a need to add extra content - either text, image or Chloe thumbboth, without disturbing or adding more than a few words to generate a link.

This may be an announcement for example, and so this approach allows for an addition with little actual impact on the page and is particularly useful if only needed temporarily.

to show text or even images within a page which is already perhaps too full.


Much web design nowadays is complex and full of "bells and whistles" - fine if you have a browser with all the necessary plug-ins to get the full benefit (and sometimes all day to await the download for a few!!). This is quite often far from being the case and we cannot just assume everyone has everything. The thinking is that very often - "less" can be "more" - information communication being the priority.

Many people require little more than a professional looking, clear presentation of their business, products or services - sufficient to convey information and comfortably enlighten the visitor, with perhaps a degree of individuality produced by a careful choice of corporate colour background, text colour and style. Shall we say - plain and effective transfer of information within "comfortable" surroundings, but if frills are wanted, they can be supplied!.

At ACB Systems (Alum Bank Web), we aim to provide just this - probably the only regularly used concession to "gadgets" being a small amount of JavaScript (a powerful scripting language) and progressively more use of style sheets, sufficient to enable attractive and interesting features and layout, plus occasional small scripts to provide useful facilities when required. We do not use much Flash even now and this page is for convenience partly html driven with just modest use of CSS.

Although some people are still using IE version 5 browsers or even earlier, it is a fair assumption that perhaps the majority of users are now on much higher releases. In fact Explorer in version 6 is still in wide use with 7 becoming more common, as well as popular alternatives such as Opera and Firefox. The aim is to make pages readily accessible so a site can be viewed satisfactorily by most currently popular browsers, with lower versions still displaying material adequately.

All we need to assemble a site for you is essentially, a set of documents containing required text elements; a set of images (digital and/or hard copy); overall chosen construction sequence and chapter requirements, and special preferences. We can design you a logo as well. A good example of a small site you can look at, where "frills" are minimal and clarity is the priority, is the Laurel Management site , where a limited amount of information conveys a concise "feel" as a kind of ''E-Brochure" - this in fact based on a hard copy brochure.

Many sites require some degree of indentity to suit their subject content ... an example being a fairly recent addition for the John Hermann Museum in Pittsburgh - the theme being "old" and "historic". A site with a totally different look is for example Gobango.net where there is a presentation of many images as well as articles. Another site, which displays articles of renaissance type clothing, is Thistlebees.com - employing some slide-show methods where useful. An old site for education towards use of images on the web is "Image Matters" - using a very simple layout to convey the data with few frills. Simple again is OnTarget.com, again few tricks at all - still incomplete. Anyone interested in fractals may enjoy a look in Plethorapix where a simple pure html layout is used to display the many examples. Do also checkout our ACB Systems Gallery, with lots of interesting image displays and where our fractals are also on display. More recent additions are a small site for a Documentary Film maker - Insight Films, exploring Hospital negligence cases, plus a Second Amendment links portal RKBA-2A.

We aim to please and give good value, maintaining to the maximum a close liason with our clients - whether directly or just over phone lines and email. Frequently, we let them select a host company of their own choice and then provide us with necessary information for access but we will of course always advise and recommend a suitable host when required and set everything up painlessly.

Drop us an email (see below) to inquire about your ideas and possible requirements, and find out how they might be implemented. Often a short discussion is all that is needed to establish the overall "feel" for a proposed site and decide how much work may be involved, both in quantity and complexity. Make a subject line precise to help avoid our dreaded spam filter from 'killing' your email. You may also try an email form page within the 'about us' section, where we show just another 'look'.