CSS Outline
An outline is a line drawn outside the element's border.
Try it Yourself »
CSS Outline
An outline is a line that is drawn around elements, OUTSIDE the borders, to make the element "stand out".
CSS has the following outline properties:
-
outline-style
-
outline-color
-
outline-width
-
outline-offset
-
outline
Note: Outline differs from borders! Unlike border, the outline is drawn outside the element's border, and may overlap other content. Also, the outline is NOT a part of the element's dimensions; the element's total width and height is not affected by the width of the outline.
CSS Outline Style
The outline-style
property specifies the style of the outline,
and can have one of the following values:
dotted
- Defines a dotted outlinedashed
- Defines a dashed outlinesolid
- Defines a solid outlinedouble
- Defines a double outlinegroove
- Defines a 3D grooved outlineridge
- Defines a 3D ridged outlineinset
- Defines a 3D inset outlineoutset
- Defines a 3D outset outlinenone
- Defines no outlinehidden
- Defines a hidden outline
The following example shows the different outline-style
values:
Example
Demonstration of the different outline styles:
p.dotted {outline-style: dotted;}
p.dashed {outline-style: dashed;}
p.solid {outline-style: solid;}
p.double {outline-style: double;}
p.groove {outline-style: groove;}
p.ridge {outline-style: ridge;}
p.inset {outline-style: inset;}
p.outset {outline-style: outset;}
Result:
A dotted outline.
A dashed outline.
A solid outline.
A double outline.
A groove outline. The effect depends on the outline-color value.
A ridge outline. The effect depends on the outline-color value.
An inset outline. The effect depends on the outline-color value.
An outset outline. The effect depends on the outline-color value.
Note: None of the other outline properties (which you will learn more about in the next chapters) will have ANY effect unless the
outline-style
property is set!