CSS Border Properties
The CSS border
properties allow you to specify the style, width, and color of an element's border.
This element has a groove border that is 15px wide and green.
Border Style
The border-style
property specifies what kind of border to display.
The following values are allowed:
dotted
- Defines a dotted borderdashed
- Defines a dashed bordersolid
- Defines a solid borderdouble
- Defines a double bordergroove
- Defines a 3D grooved border. The effect depends on the border-color valueridge
- Defines a 3D ridged border. The effect depends on the border-color valueinset
- Defines a 3D inset border. The effect depends on the border-color valueoutset
- Defines a 3D outset border. The effect depends on the border-color valuenone
- Defines no borderhidden
- 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
p.dotted {border-style: dotted;}
p.dashed
{border-style: dashed;}
p.solid {border-style: solid;}
p.double
{border-style: double;}
p.groove {border-style: groove;}
p.ridge
{border-style: ridge;}
p.inset {border-style: inset;}
p.outset
{border-style: outset;}
p.none {border-style: none;}
p.hidden {border-style: hidden;}
p.mix {border-style: dotted dashed solid double;}
Result:
A dotted border.
A dashed border.
A solid border.
A double border.
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.
No border.
A mixed border.
Try it Yourself »
Note: None of the OTHER CSS border properties described below will have ANY effect unless the
border-style
property is set!
Border Width
The border-width
property specifies the width of the four borders.
The width can be set as a specific size (in px, pt, cm, em, etc) or by using one of the three pre-defined values: thin, medium, or thick.
The border-width
property can have from one to four values (for
the top border, right border, bottom border, and the left border).
Example
p.one
{
border-style: solid;
border-width: 5px;
}
p.two
{
border-style: solid;
border-width: medium;
}
p.three
{
border-style: solid;
border-width: 2px 10px 4px 20px;
}
Try it Yourself »
Border Color
The border-color
property is used to set the color of the four borders.
The color can be set by:
- name - specify a color name, like "red"
- Hex - specify a hex value, like "#ff0000"
- RGB - specify a RGB value, like "rgb(255,0,0)"
- transparent
The border-color
property can have from one to four values (for
the top border, right border, bottom border, and the left border).
If border-color
is not set, it inherits the color of the element.
Example
p.one
{
border-style: solid;
border-color: red;
}
p.two
{
border-style: solid;
border-color: green;
}
p.three {
border-style: solid;
border-color: red green blue yellow;
}
Try it Yourself »
Border - Individual Sides
From the examples above you have seen that it is possible to specify a different border for each side.
In CSS, there is also properties for specifying each of the borders (top, right, bottom, and left):
Example
p
{
border-top-style: dotted;
border-right-style: solid;
border-bottom-style: dotted;
border-left-style: solid;
}
Try it Yourself »
The example above gives the same result as this:
So, here is how it works:
If the border-style
property has four values:
- border-style: dotted solid double dashed;
- top border is dotted
- right border is solid
- bottom border is double
- left border is dashed
If the border-style
property has three values:
- border-style: dotted solid double;
- top border is dotted
- right and left borders are solid
- bottom border is double
If the border-style
property has two values:
- border-style: dotted solid;
- top and bottom borders are dotted
- right and left borders are solid
If the border-style
property has one value:
- border-style: dotted;
- all four borders are dotted
The border-style
property is used in the example above. However, it also works with
border-width
and border-color
.
Border - Shorthand Property
As you can see from the examples above, there are many properties to consider when dealing with borders.
To shorten the code, it is also possible to specify all the individual border properties in one property.
The border
property is a shorthand property for the following individual border properties:
border-width
border-style
(required)border-color
More Examples
All the top border properties in one declaration
This example demonstrates a shorthand property for setting all of the properties for the top border in one declaration.
Set the style of the bottom border
This example demonstrates how to set the style of the bottom border.
Set the width of the left border
This example demonstrates how to set the width of the left border.
Set the color of the four borders
This example demonstrates how to set the color of the four borders. It can have from one to four colors.
Set the color of the right border
This example demonstrates how to set the color of the right border.
Test Yourself with Exercises!
Exercise 1 » Exercise 2 » Exercise 3 » Exercise 4 »
All CSS Border Properties
Property | Description |
---|---|
border | Sets all the border properties in one declaration |
border-bottom | Sets all the bottom border properties in one declaration |
border-bottom-color | Sets the color of the bottom border |
border-bottom-style | Sets the style of the bottom border |
border-bottom-width | Sets the width of the bottom border |
border-color | Sets the color of the four borders |
border-left | Sets all the left border properties in one declaration |
border-left-color | Sets the color of the left border |
border-left-style | Sets the style of the left border |
border-left-width | Sets the width of the left border |
border-right | Sets all the right border properties in one declaration |
border-right-color | Sets the color of the right border |
border-right-style | Sets the style of the right border |
border-right-width | Sets the width of the right border |
border-style | Sets the style of the four borders |
border-top | Sets all the top border properties in one declaration |
border-top-color | Sets the color of the top border |
border-top-style | Sets the style of the top border |
border-top-width | Sets the width of the top border |
border-width | Sets the width of the four borders |