background-image
The background-image CSS property sets one or more background images on an element.
Try it
The background images are drawn on stacking context layers on top of each other. The first layer specified is drawn as if it is closest to the user.
The borders of the element are then drawn on top of them, and the background-color is drawn beneath them. How the images are drawn relative to the box and its borders is defined by the background-clip and background-origin CSS properties.
If a specified image cannot be drawn (for example, when the file denoted by the specified URI cannot be loaded), browsers handle it as they would a none value.
Note: Even if the images are opaque and the color won’t be displayed in normal circumstances, web developers should always specify a background-color . If the images cannot be loaded—for instance, when the network is down—the background color will be used as a fallback.
Syntax
Each background image is specified either as the keyword none or as an value.
To specify multiple background images, supply multiple values, separated by a comma:
background-image: linear-gradient( to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 0, 0.5), rgba(0, 0, 255, 0.5) ), url("catfront.png"); /* Global values */ background-image: inherit; background-image: initial; background-image: revert; background-image: revert-layer; background-image: unset;
Values
Is a keyword denoting the absence of images.
Accessibility concerns
Browsers do not provide any special information on background images to assistive technology. This is important primarily for screen readers, as a screen reader will not announce its presence and therefore convey nothing to its users. If the image contains information critical to understanding the page’s overall purpose, it is better to describe it semantically in the document.
Formal definition
| Initial value | none |
|---|---|
| Applies to | all elements. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line . |
| Inherited | no |
| Computed value | as specified, but with url() values made absolute |
| Animation type | discrete |
Formal syntax
Examples
Layering background images
Note that the star image is partially transparent and is layered over the cat image.
HTML
div> p class="catsandstars">This paragraph is full of catsbr />and stars.p> p>This paragraph is not.p> p class="catsandstars">Here are more cats for you.br />Look at them!p> p>And no more.p> div>
CSS
p font-size: 1.5em; color: #fe7f88; background-image: none; background-color: transparent; > div background-image: url("mdn_logo_only_color.png"); > .catsandstars background-image: url("startransparent.gif"), url("catfront.png"); background-color: transparent; > Result
Specifications
Browser compatibility
BCD tables only load in the browser
See also
- Implementing image sprites in CSS
- Image-related data types: ,
- Image-related functions:
- cross-fade()
- element()
- image()
- image-set()
- linear-gradient()
- radial-gradient()
- conic-gradient()
- repeating-linear-gradient()
- repeating-radial-gradient()
- repeating-conic-gradient()
- paint()
- url()
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This page was last modified on Jul 18, 2023 by MDN contributors.
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