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.
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;
}
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;
}
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;
}
The example above gives the same result as this:
Example
p{
border-style: dotted solid;
}
So, here is how it works:
If the border-style property has four values:
border-style: dotted solid double dashed;
o top border is dotted
o right border is solid
o bottom border is double
o left border is dashed
If the border-style property has three values:
border-style: dotted solid double;
o top border is dotted
o right and left borders are solid
o bottom border is double
If the border-style property has two values:
border-style: dotted solid;
o top and bottom borders are dotted
o right and left borders are solid
If the border-style property has one value:
border-style: dotted;
o 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
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
Bottom Border
p{
border-bottom: 6px solid red;
background-color: lightgrey;
}
Result:
Some text
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;
}
Note: The border-radius property is not supported in IE8 and
earlier versions.
All CSS Border Properties
Property Description
border Sets all the border properties in one declaration
Sets all the bottom border properties in one
border-bottom
declaration
border-bottom-
Sets the color of the bottom border
color
border-bottom-
Sets the style of the bottom border
style
border-bottom-
Sets the width of the bottom border
width
border-color Sets the color of the four borders
Sets all the left border properties in one
border-left
declaration
border-left-
Sets the color of the left border
color
border-left-
Sets the style of the left border
style
border-left-
Sets the width of the left border
width
Sets all the four border-*-radius properties for
border-radius
rounded corners
Sets all the right border properties in one
border-right
declaration
border-right-
Sets the color of the right border
color
border-right-
Sets the style of the right border
style
border-right-
Sets the width of the right border
width
border-style Sets the style of the four borders
Sets all the top border properties in one
border-top
declaration
border-top-
Sets the color of the top border
color
border-top-
Sets the style of the top border
style
border-top-
Sets the width of the top border
width
border-width Sets the width of the four borders
