Tag border-image

🖼️ CSS border-image: Creating Stunning Borders with Images

Borders don’t have to be boring solid lines! The CSS border-image property lets you use images to create highly customizable, artistic borders around your HTML elements. It opens a whole new world of creative possibilities beyond simple colors and styles.

🧾 What is border-image?

The border-image property allows you to slice an image into regions and use those slices as the border of an element. Instead of a plain colored border, you can use patterns, gradients, or any graphic to frame your content.

🧬 Syntax

selector {
  border-image: url(<image-path>) <slice> / <width> / <outset> <repeat>;
}

Or use the expanded longhand properties:

  • border-image-source
  • border-image-slice
  • border-image-width
  • border-image-outset
  • border-image-repeat

🔍 Main Components Explained

ComponentDescription
border-image-sourceThe image to use as the border. Usually a PNG, SVG, or any supported image format.
border-image-sliceDefines how to slice the image into 9 parts (corners, edges, center) — numbers or %
border-image-widthSpecifies how wide the border should be (can be length or number).
border-image-outsetHow far the border image extends beyond the border box (optional).
border-image-repeatHow the slices are repeated or stretched (stretch, repeat, round).

🎯 Example: Basic Border Image

div {
  border-width: 30px;
  border-style: solid; /* required */
  border-image-source: url('border.png');
  border-image-slice: 30;
  border-image-repeat: round;
}
  • The image is sliced 30 pixels inward from each edge.
  • The border is 30px thick.
  • The image slices repeat evenly (round) along edges.

🎨 How It Works

  1. Slicing: The image is divided into 9 parts — 4 corners, 4 edges, and the center.
  2. Corners: Drawn at corners without scaling.
  3. Edges: The slices between corners are either stretched or repeated to fit border lengths.
  4. Center: Usually ignored (transparent or filled by background).

🛠️ Practical Use Cases

  • Custom UI frames: Use ornate or thematic frames on images or content boxes.
  • Buttons with decorative borders: Create unique button edges.
  • Themed sections: Use textures or patterns for section borders.
  • Game or vintage styles: Use pixel art or vintage images as borders for nostalgia.

✅ Best Practices

  • Always specify border-style: solid (or any style except none) for border images to appear.
  • Use PNG or SVG images with transparency for best results.
  • Test how slices work with different element sizes.
  • Avoid too complex images that distort when sliced.
  • Use border-image-repeat: round or repeat for seamless patterns.

🔚 Conclusion

The CSS border-image property transforms ordinary borders into visually rich, image-based frames. With slicing, scaling, and repeat options, you can craft borders that perfectly fit your design vision and add flair to your web pages.