5column

5column is a layout concept used to divide content into five vertical columns. The term appears in both print design and digital interfaces and can refer to fixed-column pages, flexible grid systems, or responsive arrangements that maintain a five-column structure on broad viewports.

In print, five-column layouts have been used for news sections, feature spreads, and catalogs, enabling efficient use of space while preserving margins and readability. In digital contexts, five-column grids are commonly implemented with CSS grid or flexbox and are popular for dashboards, product catalogs, and magazine-style websites.

Implementation notes: a five-column grid can be defined in CSS with grid-template-columns: repeat(5, 1fr); adjustments may be needed for gutters, column widths, and content density. Responsive techniques often stack or reduce the number of columns at smaller viewports, or reflow content to maintain readability. Some web design systems provide predefined five-column patterns to accelerate development.

Considerations include legibility, line length, and visual rhythm. Designers may vary column widths, insert breaks, or allow columns to collapse into fewer columns on mobile devices to improve usability. The term 5column can also appear in branding or product names unrelated to layout, so context is important for interpretation.

See also: CSS Grid, responsive design, multi-column layout.