CSS Styling Images

Learn how to style images using CSS.

Rounded Images

Use the border-radius property to create rounded images:

img {
    border-radius: 8px;
}

img {
    border-radius: 50%;
}

Thumbnail Images

Use the border property to create thumbnail images.

img {
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    border-radius: 4px;
    padding: 5px;
    width: 150px;
}

Thumbnail Image as Link:

img {
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    border-radius: 4px;
    padding: 5px;
    width: 150px;
}

img:hover {
    box-shadow: 0 0 2px 1px rgba(0, 140, 186, 0.5);
}


  

Responsive Images

Responsive images will automatically adjust to fit the size of the screen.

Resize the browser window to see the effect:

If you want an image to scale down if it has to, but never scale up to be larger than its original size, add the following:

img {
    max-width: 100%;
    height: auto;
}

Tip: Read more about Responsive Web Design in our CSS RWD Tutorial.

Center an Image

To center an image, set left and right margin to auto and make it into a block element:

img {
    display: block;
    margin-left: auto;
    margin-right: auto;
    width: 50%;
}

Polaroid Images / Cards

Cinque Terre

Northern Lights

div.polaroid {
    width: 80%;
    background-color: white;
    box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.19);
}

img {width: 100%}

div.container {
    text-align: center;
    padding: 10px 20px;
}

Transparent Image

The opacity property can take a value from 0.0 – 1.0. The lower value, the more transparent:

opacity 0.2

opacity 0.5

opacity 1
(default)

Note: IE8 and earlier use filter:alpha(opacity=x). The x can take a value from 0 – 100. A lower value makes the element more transparent.

img {
    opacity: 0.5;
    filter: alpha(opacity=50); /* For IE8 and earlier */
}

Image Text

How to position text in an image:

Example

Bottom Left

Top Left

Top Right

Bottom Right

Centered

Try it Yourself:

Top Left » Top Right » Bottom Left » Bottom Right » Centered »

Image Filters

The CSS filter property adds visual effects (like blur and saturation) to an element.

Note: The filter property is not supported in Internet Explorer, Edge 12, or Safari 5.1 and earlier.

img {

    -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); /* Safari 6.0 – 9.0 */

    filter: grayscale(100%);

}

Note: The filter property is not supported in Internet Explorer, Edge 12, or Safari 5.1 and earlier.

Tip: Go to our CSS filter Reference to learn more about CSS filters.

Image Hover Overlay

Create an overlay effect on hover:

Example

Fade in text:

Hello World

Example

Fade in a box:

John

Example

Slide in (top):

 

Flip an Image

Move your mouse over the image:

img:hover {
    -webkit-transform: scaleX(-1);
    transform: scaleX(-1);
}

Responsive Image Gallery

CSS can be used to create image galleries. This example use media queries to re-arrange the images on different screen sizes. Resize the browser window to see the effect:

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Add a description of the image here

Add a description of the image here

Add a description of the image here

.responsive {
    padding: 0 6px;
    float: left;
    width: 24.99999%;
}

@media only screen and (max-width: 700px){
    .responsive {
        width: 49.99999%;
        margin: 6px 0;
    }
}

@media only screen and (max-width: 500px){
    .responsive {
        width: 100%;
    }
}

Tip: Read more about Responsive Web Design in our CSS RWD Tutorial.

Image Modal (Advanced)

This is an example to demonstrate how CSS and JavaScript can work together.

First, use CSS to create a modal window (dialog box), and hide it by default.

Then, use a JavaScript to show the modal window and to display the image inside the modal, when a user clicks on the image:

// Get the modal
var modal = document.getElementById('myModal');

// Get the image and insert it inside the modal - use its "alt" text as a caption
var img = document.getElementById('myImg');
var modalImg = document.getElementById("img01");
var captionText = document.getElementById("caption");
img.onclick = function(){
    modal.style.display = "block";
    modalImg.src = this.src;
    captionText.innerHTML = this.alt;
}

// Get the  element that closes the modal
var span = document.getElementsByClassName("close")[0];

// When the user clicks on  (x), close the modal
span.onclick = function() { 
    modal.style.display = "none";
}