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CSS Borders

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CSS Border Properties

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 rounded borders.


I have a blue left border.

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

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 hidden 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).

5px border-width

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.

Red border

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 are also properties for specifying each of the borders (top, right, bottom, and left):

Different Border Styles

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:

Example

p {
    border-style: dotted solid;
}
Try it Yourself »

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

Example

p {
    border: 5px solid red;
}

Result:

Some text

Try it Yourself »

You can also specify all the individual border properties for just one side:

Left Border

p {
    border-left: 6px solid red;
    background-color: lightgrey;
}

Result:

Some text

Try it Yourself »

Bottom Border

p {
    border-bottom: 6px solid red;
    background-color: lightgrey;
}

Result:

Some text

Try it Yourself »

Rounded Borders

The border-radius property is used to add rounded borders to an element:

Normal border

Round border

Rounder border

Roundest border

Example

p {
    border: 2px solid red;
    border-radius: 5px;
}
Try it Yourself »

Note: The border-radius property is not supported in IE8 and earlier versions.

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-radius Sets all the four border-*-radius properties for rounded corners
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

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