The border-style shorthand CSS property sets the line style for all four sides of an element's border.

Try it

border-style: none;

border-style: dotted;

border-style: inset;

border-style: dashed solid;

border-style: dashed double none;

border-style: dashed groove none dotted;

<section id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    This is a box with a border around it.
  </div>
</section>

#example-element {
  background-color: #eeeeee;
  color: black;
  border: 0.75em solid;
  padding: 0.75em;
  width: 80%;
  height: 100px;
}

body {
  background-color: white;
}

Constituent properties

This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:

• border-bottom-style
• border-left-style
• border-right-style
• border-top-style

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
border-style: none;
border-style: hidden;
border-style: dotted;
border-style: dashed;
border-style: solid;
border-style: double;
border-style: groove;
border-style: ridge;
border-style: inset;
border-style: outset;

/* top and bottom | left and right */
border-style: dotted solid;

/* top | left and right | bottom */
border-style: hidden double dashed;

/* top | right | bottom | left */
border-style: none solid dotted dashed;

/* Global values */
border-style: inherit;
border-style: initial;
border-style: revert;
border-style: revert-layer;
border-style: unset;

The border-style property may be specified using one, two, three, or four values.

• When one value is specified, it applies the same style to all four sides.
• When two values are specified, the first style applies to the top and bottom, the second to the left and right.
• When three values are specified, the first style applies to the top, the second to the left and right, the third to the bottom.
• When four values are specified, the styles apply to the top, right, bottom, and left in that order (clockwise).

Each value is a keyword chosen from the list below.

Values

<line-style>

Describes the style of the border. It can have the following values:

none

Like the hidden keyword, displays no border. Unless a background-image is set, the computed value of the same side's border-width will be 0, even if the specified value is something else. In the case of table cell and border collapsing, the none value has the lowest priority: if any other conflicting border is set, it will be displayed.

hidden

Like the none keyword, displays no border. Unless a background-image is set, the computed value of the same side's border-width will be 0, even if the specified value is something else. In the case of table cell and border collapsing, the hidden value has the highest priority: if any other conflicting border is set, it won't be displayed.

dotted

Displays a series of rounded dots. The spacing of the dots is not defined by the specification and is implementation-specific. The radius of the dots is half the computed value of the same side's border-width.

dashed

Displays a series of short square-ended dashes or line segments. The exact size and length of the segments are not defined by the specification and are implementation-specific.

solid

Displays a single, straight, solid line.

double

Displays two straight lines that add up to the pixel size defined by border-width.

groove

Displays a border with a carved appearance. It is the opposite of ridge.

ridge

Displays a border with an extruded appearance. It is the opposite of groove.

inset

Displays a border that makes the element appear embedded. It is the opposite of outset. When applied to a table cell with border-collapse set to collapsed, this value behaves like ridge.

outset

Displays a border that makes the element appear embossed. It is the opposite of inset. When applied to a table cell with border-collapse set to collapsed, this value behaves like groove.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

border-style = 
  <line-style>{1,4}  

<line-style> = 
  none    |
  hidden  |
  dotted  |
  dashed  |
  solid   |
  double  |
  groove  |
  ridge   |
  inset   |
  outset  

Examples

All property values

Here is an example of all the property values.

HTML

<pre class="b1">none</pre>
<pre class="b2">hidden</pre>
<pre class="b3">dotted</pre>
<pre class="b4">dashed</pre>
<pre class="b5">solid</pre>
<pre class="b6">double</pre>
<pre class="b7">groove</pre>
<pre class="b8">ridge</pre>
<pre class="b9">inset</pre>
<pre class="b10">outset</pre>

CSS

pre {
  height: 80px;
  width: 120px;
  margin: 20px;
  padding: 20px;
  display: inline-block;
  background-color: palegreen;
  border-width: 5px;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

/* border-style example classes */
.b1 {
  border-style: none;
}

.b2 {
  border-style: hidden;
}

.b3 {
  border-style: dotted;
}

.b4 {
  border-style: dashed;
}

.b5 {
  border-style: solid;
}

.b6 {
  border-style: double;
}

.b7 {
  border-style: groove;
}

.b8 {
  border-style: ridge;
}

.b9 {
  border-style: inset;
}

.b10 {
  border-style: outset;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• The border-related shorthand CSS properties: border, border-width, border-color, border-radius