Alignment if the 1^st of the design principles and is probably the most common mistake that you will find on the internet. When you think of alignment, most people simply think of how you align a paragraph of text - left, centered, right, or full justified.

In web design, alignment refers to how you align all of the elements on a webpage. Elements being images, navigation, text, etc. You want to create a line with these elements. By repeating the same alignment throughout a webpage/website you eliminate clutter and make it easier for the reader to read and find the information they are looking for.

Alignment isn't just horizontal. There are times that we have to specify a vertical, (top, middle, bottom) alignment. Specifically in the use of tables. In web design, we use what are called phantom tables to hold the elements in place on the page. The cells of the table help in creating the consistent alignment. Phantom tables are simply tables with the border set to "0."

The most common mistake for the beginning web designers is to center everything on the page because it creates symmetry. IF you want to center an element, you should use the phantom table or use a blockquote. The blockquote tag increases the size of the margin, giving it a centered feel, without losing the alignment.