background-clip

The background-clip CSS property sets whether an element's background extends underneath its border box, padding box, or content box.

If the element has no background-image or background-color, this property will only have a visual effect when the border has transparent regions or partially opaque regions (due to border-style or border-image); otherwise, the border masks the difference.

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
background-clip: border-box;
background-clip: padding-box;
background-clip: content-box;
background-clip: text;

/* Global values */
background-clip: inherit;
background-clip: initial;
background-clip: unset;

Values

border-box

The background extends to the outside edge of the border (but underneath the border in z-ordering).

padding-box

The background extends to the outside edge of the padding. No background is drawn beneath the border.

content-box

The background is painted within (clipped to) the content box.

text

The background is painted within (clipped to) the foreground text.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

<box>#
where 
<box> = border-box | padding-box | content-box

Examples

HTML

<p class="border-box">The background extends behind the border.</p>
<p class="padding-box">The background extends to the inside edge of the border.</p>
<p class="content-box">The background extends only to the edge of the content box.</p>
<p class="text">The background is clipped to the foreground text.</p>

CSS

p {
  border: .8em darkviolet;
  border-style: dotted double;
  margin: 1em 0;
  padding: 1.4em;
  background: linear-gradient(60deg, red, yellow, red, yellow, red);
  font: 900 1.2em sans-serif;
  text-decoration: underline;
}

.border-box { background-clip: border-box; }
.padding-box { background-clip: padding-box; }
.content-box { background-clip: content-box; }

.text {
  background-clip: text;
  -webkit-background-clip: text;
  color: rgba(0,0,0,.2);
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibilityUpdate compatibility data on GitHub

See also

• The clip-path property creates a clipping region that defines what part of an entire element should be displayed.
• Background properties: background, background-color, background-image, background-origin
• Introduction to the CSS box model