CSS borders and outlines are valuable tools for web designers looking to add flair to a site.
Let’s look at CSS borders to see where you should get started.
What Is the Difference Between a Border and an Outline in CSS?
While these properties are similar, they have different values and purposes.
For one, CSS outlines sit outside of borders.
This means that they can overlap with content outside the element you apply them to.
Along with this, CSS borders change the dimensions of an element but outlines do not.
The shorthand you use for each is also very similar.
Both of these properties share the same format for their shorthand options and it looks like this.
This creates rules that look like this when they are in action.
Of course, though, this shorthand doesn’t cover all the values available for these properties.
These shorthand CSS border and outline rules result in a thin blue border with a thick red outline.
The format for these properties is the same.
Borders allow individual widths to be set for each side of the element, but outlines do not.
it’s possible for you to read more about this in the following sections.
CSS border-style & outline-style
CSS borders and outlines come in a variety of styles.
This includes hex codes, RGB codes, shorthand colors, and more.
you could also use color gradients when working with CSS borders and outlines.
CSS borders have two unique properties that are worth learning.
you’ve got the option to set a single value to change the radius of all corners.
you’re able to also split the corners into groups of top left/bottom right and top right/bottom left.
This makes it easy to create interesting shapes with your HTML elements.
Finally, you’re free to set each corner to have its own radius.
These values apply clockwise starting from the top left corner.
This makes it possible to give each side of your element a different width.
you might also set independent CSS border styles for each side of an element.
And you’re free to change the color of each side if you want to.
CSS border sides work with the regular shorthand to combine like this.
CSS outline-offset
Adding an offset to an outline creates a space between itself and the main element.
CSS Border & Outline Styles
Both borders and outlines need a style to work.
There are ten available styles to choose from, including borders that don’t show up at all.
Borders share the same styles with outlines, only with outline-style set as the property.
How to Use CSS Borders & Outlines
Outlines and borders are great design tools for website creators.
