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CSS•CSS Foundations

CSS Margins

Overview

The CSS margin properties are used to create space around elements, outside of any defined borders. Margins define the distance between an element's border and the surrounding elements. With CSS, you have full control over the margins. CSS has properties for setting the margin for each individual side of an element (top, right, bottom, and left), and a shorthand property for setting all the margin properties in one declaration. This element has a margin of 70px.

Formula

Margin - Individual Sides

CSS has properties for specifying the margin for each side of an element:

Formula

margin - top
- sets the top margin of an element margin - right
- sets the right margin of an element margin - bottom
- sets the bottom margin of an element margin - left
  • sets the left margin of an element All the margin properties can have the following values:

Formula

auto - the browser calculates the margin length
  • specifies a margin in px, pt, cm, etc. % - specifies a margin in % of the width of the containing element inherit - specifies that the margin should be inherited from the parent element

Tip:

Negative values are also allowed.

Example

Formula

Set different margins for all four sides of a < p > element:
p {
margin-top: 100px;
margin-bottom: 100px;
margin-right: 150px;
margin-left: 80px;
}

Formula

Margin - Shorthand Property

To shorten the code, it is possible to specify all the margin properties in one declaration. The margin property is a shorthand property for the following individual margin properties:

Formula

margin - top margin - right margin - bottom margin - left

Here is how it works:

If the margin property has four values:

margin: 25px 50px 75px 100px;

top margin is 25px right margin is 50px bottom margin is 75px left margin is 100px

Example

Use the margin shorthand property with four values:

p {
margin: 25px 50px 75px 100px;
}

If the margin property has three values:

margin: 25px 50px 75px;

top margin is 25px right and left margins are 50px bottom margin is 75px

Example

Use the margin shorthand property with three values:

p {
margin: 25px 50px 75px;
}

If the margin property has two values:

margin: 25px 50px;

top and bottom margins are 25px right and left margins are 50px

Example

Use the margin shorthand property with two values:

p {
margin: 25px 50px;
}

If the margin property has one value:

margin: 25px;

all four margins are 25px

Example

Use the margin shorthand property with one value:

p {
margin: 25px;
}

The auto Value

You can set the margin property to auto to horizontally center the element within its container. The element will then take up the specified width, and the remaining space will be split equally between the left and right margins.

Example

Use margin: auto:

div {
width: 300px;

margin:

auto;
border: 1px solid red;
}

The inherit Value

You can set the margin property to inherit to let the margin be inherited from the parent element.

Formula

This example lets the left margin of the < p class ="ex1"> element be inherited from the parent element

(<div>):

Example

Use of the inherit value:

div {
border: 1px solid red;
margin-left: 100px;
}
p.ex1 {

Formula

margin - left:
inherit;
}

All CSS Margin Properties

Property

Description margin

Formula

A shorthand property for setting all the margin properties in one declaration margin - bottom
Sets the bottom margin of an element margin - left
Sets the left margin of an element margin - right
Sets the right margin of an element margin - top

Sets the top margin of an element

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CSS Shorthand Border Property

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CSS Margin Collapse