Question: Why does VKUI use px instead of rem for sizing?

[NalivaikoA]

Hi!

I noticed that VKUI uses px units for typography and spacing instead of rem.

When changing the browser’s default font size (e.g., increasing it in browser settings), VKUI components do not scale accordingly. This may affect accessibility for users who rely on browser font scaling.

Could you please clarify:

1. Is the use of px instead of rem intentional? If yes, please clarify why this was done?
2. Are there any plans to support scaling based on root font-size?
3. How does VKUI approach accessibility in terms of font scaling?

Thank you!

[inomdzhon]

Hi!

Thanks for the note 🙏 And sorry for the long delay in replying.

1. When the library was first created, this wasn’t really considered, so you could say it’s just something that “historically happened that way.”
2. We discussed this idea before, and after your request we brought it back to the design team. Overall, they find the idea interesting, but they won’t be able to take it on as a top priority. Definitely not this year.
3. Unfortunately, for now users have to scale the page using the browser’s built-in zoom feature.

Original text

Привет!

Спасибо за замечание 🙏 И извини за долгий ответ.

1. Когда библиотека зародилась, даже не думали об этом, поэтому тут можно сказать "так исторически сложилось".
2. Уже когда-то обсуждали эту идею, после твоего запроса снова пошли с ней к дизайну. В целом, им интересна эта идея, но смогут взяться за него в полной мере в первом приоритете. В этом году точно нет.
3. К сожалению, пользователь пока вынужден масштабировать страницу посредством такой функции в браузере.

[NalivaikoA]

thanks for the answer!

[ukqfhf]

@NalivaikoA, as a workaround, you can probably customize all or some spacing and font‑sizing specific tokens in your root CSS file. However, such an override will probably break some fixed‑sized boxes, so it should be carefully tested on your side