CSS margin Property
Definition and Usage
The margin shorthand property sets all the margin properties in one declaration. This property can have from one to four values.
Examples:
- margin:10px 5px 15px 20px;
- top margin is 10px
- right margin is 5px
- bottom margin is 15px
- left margin is 20px
- margin:10px 5px 15px;
- top margin is 10px
- right and left margins are 5px
- bottom margin is 15px
- margin:10px 5px;
- top and bottom margins are 10px
- right and left margins are 5px
- margin:10px;
- all four margins are 10px
Note: Negative values are allowed.
Default value: | 0 |
---|---|
Inherited: | no |
Animatable: | yes, see individual properties. Read about animatable Try it |
Version: | CSS1 |
JavaScript syntax: | object.style.margin="100px 50px" Try it |
Browser Support
The numbers in the table specify the first browser version that fully supports the property.
Property | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
margin | 1.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.5 |
CSS Syntax
margin: length|auto|initial|inherit;
Property Values
Value | Description | Play it |
---|---|---|
length | Specifies a margin in px, pt, cm, etc. Default value is 0 | Play it » |
% | Specifies a margin in percent of the width of the containing element | Play it » |
auto | The browser calculates a margin | Play it » |
initial | Sets this property to its default value. Read about initial | Play it » |
inherit | Inherits this property from its parent element. Read about inherit |
Margin Collapse
Top and bottom margins of elements are sometimes collapsed into a single margin that is equal to the largest of the two margins.
This does not happen on horizontal margins (left and right)! Only vertical margins (top and bottom)!
Look at the following example:
In the example above, the <h1> element has a bottom margin of 30px. The <p> element has a top margin set to 20px.
Common sense would seem to suggest that the vertical margin between the <h1> and the <p> would be a total of 50px (30px + 20px). But due to margin collapse, the actual margin ends up being 30px.
Related Pages
CSS tutorial: CSS Margin
CSS tutorial: CSS Box Model
HTML DOM reference: margin property