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Mastering Advanced CSS Backgrounds: Images, Colors, and Techniques

CSS Multiple Backgrounds​

CSS Multiple Backgrounds allow you to add multiple background images or colors to an element, and it's a powerful feature that can be used to create interesting and complex designs.

Here's how you can use CSS multiple backgrounds in your code:

Using multiple background images​

To use multiple background images, you can use the CSS property background-image multiple times, separated by commas. Each background image can have its own position, size, and repeat properties.

As an example:

.element {
     background-image: url(bg-image-1.jpg), url(bg-image-2.jpg);
     background-position: center center, left top;
     background-size: cover, auto;
     background-repeat: no-repeat, repeat-y;
}

In this example:

  • We have added two background images to the .element class.
  • The first image will be centered in the element, cover the entire background, and not repeat.
  • The second image will be positioned at the top-left corner of the element, repeat vertically, and have an automatic width.

Using multiple background colors​

You can also use multiple background colors in the same way as background images. Just use the background-color property instead of background-image.

As an example:

.element {
     background-color: #f7f7f7, #e7e7e7;
}

In this example:

  • We have added two background colors to the .element class.
  • The first color will be the main background color, and the second color will be visible on the top-left corner of the element.

Combining background images and colors​

You can also combine background images and colors in the same element.

As an example:

.element {
     background: url(bg-image.jpg) center center / cover no-repeat, linear-gradient(
               to bottom,
               #f7f7f7,
               #e7e7e7
          );
}

In this example:

  • We have added a background image to cover the entire background of the element and a linear gradient background that starts from the top of the element and goes to the bottom.
  • Note that we have used the shorthand property background to add both backgrounds at once.

CSS Background Size​

CSS Background Size is a property that allows you to adjust the size of a background image. You can control the size of the background image by setting the width and height or by using various keywords or values.

Here's how to use the CSS background-size property:

Using Width and Height​

You can use the width and height values to set the size of the background image. These values are specified in pixels, ems, rems, percentages, or any other valid CSS unit.

As an example:

.element {
     background-image: url(bg-image.jpg);
     background-size: 200px 100px;
}

In this example:

  • The background image will be resized to 200 pixels in width and 100 pixels in height.

Using Contain and Cover​

The "contain" and "cover" keywords are used to make the background image fit the available space while preserving its aspect ratio. The "contain" value will make sure that the background image is fully visible, while the "cover" value will make sure that the background image covers the entire element.

As an example:

.element {
     background-image: url(bg-image.jpg);
     background-size: contain;
}

In this example:

  • The background image will be resized to fit the entire element while preserving its aspect ratio.

Using Multiple Values​

You can also use multiple values to control the width and height of the background image separately.

As an example:

.element {
     background-image: url(bg-image.jpg);
     background-size: 200px auto;
}

In this example:

  • The background image will be resized to 200 pixels in width and the height will be automatically adjusted to preserve the aspect ratio.

Using Percentage​

You can also use the percentage value to set the size of the background image relative to the size of the element.

As an example:

.element {
     background-image: url(bg-image.jpg);
     background-size: 50% 50%;
}

In this example:

  • The background image will be resized to 50% of the element's width and 50% of the element's height.

Define Sizes of Multiple Background Images​

To define sizes for multiple background images, you can use the background-size property and provide multiple values, separated by commas. Each value corresponds to a background image, listed in the same order as the background-image property.

As an example:

.element {
     background-image: url(bg-image1.jpg), url(bg-image2.jpg);
     background-size: cover, 50% auto;
}

In this example:

  • We have added two background images to the .element class.
  • The first image will cover the entire background, while the second image will be resized to 50% of its width and have an automatic height.
  • The background-size values are listed in the same order as the background-image values.

Alternatively, you can use the background shorthand property to define both the background-image and background-size properties in one declaration.

As an example:

.element {
     background: url(bg-image1.jpg) cover, url(bg-image2.jpg) 50% auto;
}

In this example:

  • We have used the background shorthand property to set the background-image and background-size properties for both images.
  • The first image will cover the entire background, while the second image will be resized to 50% of its width and have an automatic height.
tip

The values you provide for background-size will apply to the entire image, not just a portion of it.

Full Size Background Image​

To add a full-size background image to your website using CSS, you can use the background-image property along with the background-size and background-position properties.

As an example:

body {
     background-image: url(bg-image.jpg);
     background-size: cover;
     background-position: center;
}

In this example:

  • The background-image property specifies the image URL, while the background-size property is set to cover, which makes the image cover the entire background area.
  • The background-position property is set to center, which centers the image horizontally and vertically.

Background Shorthand Property​

Alternatively, you can use the shorthand background property to set all three properties at once.

As an example:

body {
     background: url(bg-image.jpg) center/cover no-repeat;
}

In this example:

  • center/cover sets the background position to center and the size to cover.
  • no-repeat ensures that the image is not repeated.
impact performance

It's important to note that using large background images can impact the performance of your website, so it's recommended to optimize your images and use them wisely.

Hero Image​

A hero image is a large, visually appealing image that is often placed at the top of a web page, above or behind the content. It is typically the first thing that visitors see when they land on a website, and it can help to set the tone and style of the site.

Here are some tips for creating an effective hero image:

  • Choose an image that is high-quality and visually appealing. This can be a photograph, an illustration, or a graphic design.

  • Consider the content and message of your site when selecting your hero image. The image should complement and enhance the site's overall message.

  • Use text sparingly, if at all. A hero image is meant to be a visual element, and too much text can detract from the impact of the image.

  • Optimize your hero image for the web. This can include compressing the file size, using the correct image format (JPEG or PNG), and ensuring that the image is responsive and mobile-friendly.

  • Use the hero image as a background, and layer the content on top of it. This can create a more dynamic and visually interesting design.

  • Consider using a parallax effect or animation to add depth and interest to your hero image.

Example​

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CSS background-origin Property​

The CSS background-origin property determines the origin of the background image or color within an element's box.

The property accepts the following values:

  • padding-box: The background starts from the padding edge of the box. This is the default value.
  • border-box: The background starts from the border edge of the box.
  • content-box: The background starts from the content edge of the box.

Here is an example of how the background-origin property can be used:

div {
     background-image: url("image.png");
     background-repeat: no-repeat;
     background-position: center;
     background-origin: content-box;
}

In this example:

  • The background image of the div element will be displayed starting from the content edge of the box.

CSS background-clip Property​

The CSS background-clip property specifies how far the background of an element should extend within the borders of that element. It determines the area to which the background of an element is clipped.

The property accepts the following values:

  • border-box: The background extends to the outside edge of the border. This is the default value.
  • padding-box: The background extends to the inside edge of the border.
  • content-box: The background extends only to the edge of the content box.

As an example:

div {
     background-image: url("image.png");
     background-repeat: no-repeat;
     background-position: center;
     background-clip: padding-box;
}

In this example:

  • The background of the div element will be displayed only within the padding box of the element.