- CSS Borders
- CSS Border Style
- Example
- border
- Try it
- Constituent properties
- Syntax
- Values
- Description
- Borders vs. outlines
- Formal definition
- Formal syntax
- Examples
- Setting a pink outset border
- HTML
- CSS
- Result
- Specifications
- Browser compatibility
- See also
- Found a content problem with this page?
- MDN
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- border-style
- Try it
- Constituent properties
- Syntax
- Values
- Formal definition
- Formal syntax
- Examples
- All property values
- HTML
- CSS
- Result
- Specifications
- Browser compatibility
- See also
- Found a content problem with this page?
- MDN
- Support
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CSS Borders
The CSS border properties allow you to specify the style, width, and color of an element’s border.
I have borders on all sides.
I have a red bottom border.
I have a blue left border.
CSS Border Style
The border-style property specifies what kind of border to display.
The following values are allowed:
- dotted — Defines a dotted border
- dashed — Defines a dashed border
- solid — Defines a solid border
- double — Defines a double border
- groove — Defines a 3D grooved border. The effect depends on the border-color value
- ridge — Defines a 3D ridged border. The effect depends on the border-color value
- inset — Defines a 3D inset border. The effect depends on the border-color value
- outset — Defines a 3D outset border. The effect depends on the border-color value
- none — Defines no border
- hidden — Defines a hidden border
The border-style property can have from one to four values (for the top border, right border, bottom border, and the left border).
Example
Demonstration of the different border styles:
A groove border. The effect depends on the border-color value.
A ridge border. The effect depends on the border-color value.
An inset border. The effect depends on the border-color value.
An outset border. The effect depends on the border-color value.
Note: None of the OTHER CSS border properties (which you will learn more about in the next chapters) will have ANY effect unless the border-style property is set!
border
The border shorthand CSS property sets an element’s border. It sets the values of border-width , border-style , and border-color .
Try it
Constituent properties
This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:
Syntax
/* style */ border: solid; /* width | style */ border: 2px dotted; /* style | color */ border: outset #f33; /* width | style | color */ border: medium dashed green; /* Global values */ border: inherit; border: initial; border: revert; border: revert-layer; border: unset;
The border property may be specified using one, two, or three of the values listed below. The order of the values does not matter.
Note: The border will be invisible if its style is not defined. This is because the style defaults to none .
Values
Sets the thickness of the border. Defaults to medium if absent. See border-width .
Sets the style of the border. Defaults to none if absent. See border-style .
Sets the color of the border. Defaults to currentcolor if absent. See border-color .
Description
As with all shorthand properties, any omitted sub-values will be set to their initial value. Importantly, border cannot be used to specify a custom value for border-image , but instead sets it to its initial value, i.e., none .
The border shorthand is especially useful when you want all four borders to be the same. To make them different from each other, however, you can use the longhand border-width , border-style , and border-color properties, which accept different values for each side. Alternatively, you can target one border at a time with the physical (e.g., border-top ) and logical (e.g., border-block-start ) border properties.
Borders vs. outlines
Borders and outlines are very similar. However, outlines differ from borders in the following ways:
- Outlines never take up space, as they are drawn outside of an element’s content.
- According to the spec, outlines don’t have to be rectangular, although they usually are.
Formal definition
- border-width : as each of the properties of the shorthand:
- border-top-width : medium
- border-right-width : medium
- border-bottom-width : medium
- border-left-width : medium
- border-top-style : none
- border-right-style : none
- border-bottom-style : none
- border-left-style : none
- border-top-color : currentcolor
- border-right-color : currentcolor
- border-bottom-color : currentcolor
- border-left-color : currentcolor
- border-width : as each of the properties of the shorthand:
- border-bottom-width : the absolute length or 0 if border-bottom-style is none or hidden
- border-left-width : the absolute length or 0 if border-left-style is none or hidden
- border-right-width : the absolute length or 0 if border-right-style is none or hidden
- border-top-width : the absolute length or 0 if border-top-style is none or hidden
- border-bottom-style : as specified
- border-left-style : as specified
- border-right-style : as specified
- border-top-style : as specified
- border-bottom-color : computed color
- border-left-color : computed color
- border-right-color : computed color
- border-top-color : computed color
- border-color : as each of the properties of the shorthand:
- border-bottom-color : a color
- border-left-color : a color
- border-right-color : a color
- border-top-color : a color
- border-bottom-width : a length
- border-left-width : a length
- border-right-width : a length
- border-top-width : a length
Formal syntax
border =
||
||=
|
thin |
medium |
thick=
none |
hidden |
dotted |
dashed |
solid |
double |
groove |
ridge |
inset |
outsetExamples
Setting a pink outset border
HTML
div>I have a border, an outline, and a box shadow! Amazing, isn't it?div>
CSS
div border: 0.5rem outset pink; outline: 0.5rem solid khaki; box-shadow: 0 0 0 2rem skyblue; border-radius: 12px; font: bold 1rem sans-serif; margin: 2rem; padding: 1rem; outline-offset: 0.5rem; >
Result
Specifications
Browser compatibility
BCD tables only load in the browser
See also
Found a content problem with this page?
This page was last modified on Jul 18, 2023 by MDN contributors.
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The border-style shorthand CSS property sets the line style for all four sides of an element’s border.
Try it
Constituent properties
This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:
Syntax
/* Keyword values */ border-style: none; border-style: hidden; border-style: dotted; border-style: dashed; border-style: solid; border-style: double; border-style: groove; border-style: ridge; border-style: inset; border-style: outset; /* top and bottom | left and right */ border-style: dotted solid; /* top | left and right | bottom */ border-style: hidden double dashed; /* top | right | bottom | left */ border-style: none solid dotted dashed; /* Global values */ border-style: inherit; border-style: initial; border-style: revert; border-style: revert-layer; border-style: unset;
The border-style property may be specified using one, two, three, or four values.
- When one value is specified, it applies the same style to all four sides.
- When two values are specified, the first style applies to the top and bottom, the second to the left and right.
- When three values are specified, the first style applies to the top, the second to the left and right, the third to the bottom.
- When four values are specified, the styles apply to the top, right, bottom, and left in that order (clockwise).
Each value is a keyword chosen from the list below.
Values
Describes the style of the border. It can have the following values:
Like the hidden keyword, displays no border. Unless a background-image is set, the computed value of the same side’s border-width will be 0 , even if the specified value is something else. In the case of table cell and border collapsing, the none value has the lowest priority: if any other conflicting border is set, it will be displayed.
Like the none keyword, displays no border. Unless a background-image is set, the computed value of the same side’s border-width will be 0 , even if the specified value is something else. In the case of table cell and border collapsing, the hidden value has the highest priority: if any other conflicting border is set, it won’t be displayed.
Displays a series of rounded dots. The spacing of the dots is not defined by the specification and is implementation-specific. The radius of the dots is half the computed value of the same side’s border-width .
Displays a series of short square-ended dashes or line segments. The exact size and length of the segments are not defined by the specification and are implementation-specific.
Displays a single, straight, solid line.
Displays two straight lines that add up to the pixel size defined by border-width .
Displays a border with a carved appearance. It is the opposite of ridge .
Displays a border with an extruded appearance. It is the opposite of groove .
Displays a border that makes the element appear embedded. It is the opposite of outset . When applied to a table cell with border-collapse set to collapsed , this value behaves like ridge .
Displays a border that makes the element appear embossed. It is the opposite of inset . When applied to a table cell with border-collapse set to collapsed , this value behaves like groove .
Formal definition
- border-top-style : none
- border-right-style : none
- border-bottom-style : none
- border-left-style : none
- border-bottom-style : as specified
- border-left-style : as specified
- border-right-style : as specified
- border-top-style : as specified
Formal syntax
border-style =
=
none |
hidden |
dotted |
dashed |
solid |
double |
groove |
ridge |
inset |
outsetExamples
All property values
Here is an example of all the property values.
HTML
pre class="b1">nonepre> pre class="b2">hiddenpre> pre class="b3">dottedpre> pre class="b4">dashedpre> pre class="b5">solidpre> pre class="b6">doublepre> pre class="b7">groovepre> pre class="b8">ridgepre> pre class="b9">insetpre> pre class="b10">outsetpre>
CSS
pre height: 80px; width: 120px; margin: 20px; padding: 20px; display: inline-block; background-color: palegreen; border-width: 5px; box-sizing: border-box; > /* border-style example classes */ .b1 border-style: none; > .b2 border-style: hidden; > .b3 border-style: dotted; > .b4 border-style: dashed; > .b5 border-style: solid; > .b6 border-style: double; > .b7 border-style: groove; > .b8 border-style: ridge; > .b9 border-style: inset; > .b10 border-style: outset; >
Result
Specifications
Browser compatibility
BCD tables only load in the browser
See also
Found a content problem with this page?
This page was last modified on Jun 30, 2023 by MDN contributors.
Your blueprint for a better internet.
MDN
Support
Our communities
Developers
Visit Mozilla Corporation’s not-for-profit parent, the Mozilla Foundation.
Portions of this content are ©1998– 2023 by individual mozilla.org contributors. Content available under a Creative Commons license.