CSS Property padding
padding shorthand property sets the width of the overall
padding or sets the widths of each individual side padding.
Padding can never be negative.
Summary
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Initial value | 0 |
| Inherited | No. |
| Version | CSS1 |
| JavaScript syntax | object.style.padding="10px 5px" |
| Applies to | All elements. |
CSS Syntax
padding: padding1 [... padding4] | inherit
padding can have one to four values.
padding:10px 5px 15px 20px;
- top padding is 10px
- right padding is 5px
- bottom padding is 15px
- left padding is 20px
padding:10px 5px 15px;
- top padding is 10px
- right and left padding are 5px
- bottom padding is 15px
padding:10px 5px;
- top and bottom padding are 10px
- right and left padding are 5px
padding:10px;
- all four paddings are 10px.
Property Values
The property values are listed in the following table.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| auto | Default value. The browser does the calculation. |
| length | Set width in px, cm, etc. |
| % | Set width in percent of the containing element |
| inherit | Inherit the width property from the parent element |
Browser compatibility
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
padding |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Example
An example showing how to use padding CSS property.
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<style>
div {<!--from www . jav a 2 s .c om-->
float: left;
background: gold;
margin: 5px;
width: 250px;
}
div div {
float: none;
background: white;
border: none;
font: 10px sans-serif;
color: rgb(200, 200, 200);
width: auto;
}
div#properties {
padding-top: 2px;
padding-right: 4px;
padding-bottom: 6px;
padding-left: 8px;
}
div#four-values { padding: 2px 4px 6px 8px; }
div#three-values { padding: 2px 8px 6px; }
div#two-values { padding: 2px 8px; }
div#one-value { padding: 2px; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id='properties'>
<div>
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
Nulla bibendum eros sit amet lectus. Nunc
interdum ut, congue ut, scelerisque quis, tellus.
</div>
</div>
<div id='four-values'>
<div>
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
Nulla bibendum eros sit amet lectus. Nunc
interdum ut, congue ut, scelerisque quis, tellus.
</div>
</div>
<div id='three-values'>
<div>
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
Nulla bibendum eros sit amet lectus. Nunc
interdum ut, congue ut, scelerisque quis, tellus.
</div>
</div>
<div id='two-values'>
<div>
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
Nulla bibendum eros sit amet lectus. Nunc
interdum ut, congue ut, scelerisque quis, tellus.
</div>
</div>
<div id='one-value'>
<div>
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer
Nulla bibendum eros sit amet lectus. Nunc
interdum ut, congue ut, scelerisque quis, tellus.
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>