isotope/_posts/docs/2010-12-11-troubleshooting.mdown

---

title: Troubleshooting
category: docs
layout: doc
related: z-etc

---
 
## Unloaded media
 
Most layout modes (i.e masonry, fitRows) need to measure the size of each item to appropriately account for its space in the layout. Unloaded media files like images and @font-face fonts can throw off layout and cause item elements to overlap one another. Ideally, Isotope layouts should be initialized after all inner content has loaded.
 
## Images

### Inline dimensions

For images, the best method is to specify the width and height of images inline.

{% highlight html %}

<img src="img-file.jpg" width="280" height="160" />

{% endhighlight %}

If you’re using a PHP-based CMS, you can use the [getimagesize](http://php.net/manual/en/function.getimagesize.php) function.

### imagesLoaded plugin

The next best solution is to use the imagesLoaded plugin included with Isotope. It's a fork of [Paul Irish's plugin](https://gist.github.com/268257) that finds all the images in a context, and fires  a callback function once all the images have loaded.

{% highlight javascript %}

$('#container').imagesLoaded( function(){
  $(this).isotope({
    itemSelector : '.item',
  });
});

{% endhighlight %}

### `$(window).load()`

Another solution is to initialize Isotope inside `$(window).load()` instead of `$(document).ready()`.

{% highlight javascript %}

$(window).load(function(){
  $('#container').isotope({
    // options...
  });
});

{% endhighlight %}

## @font-face fonts

Both Typekit and Google WebFont Loader provide font events to control scripts based on how fonts are loaded. 

+ [Typekit font events](http://blog.typekit.com/2010/10/18/more-control-with-typekits-font-events/)
+ [Google WebFont Loader: Events](http://code.google.com/apis/webfonts/docs/webfont_loader.html#Events)

Additionally, you can use the `$(window).load()` pattern above to wait for all content, including @font-face fonts, to load before initializing Isotope.