background-image

The CSS background-image property sets one or several background images for an element.

background-image: none;
background-image: url('http://www.example.com/bck.png');
background-image: inherit;

The background images are drawn on stacking context layers on top of each other. The first layer specified is drawn as if it is closest to the user.

The borders of the element are then drawn on top of them, and the background-color is drawn beneath them. How the images are drawn relative to the box and its borders is defined by the background-clip and background-origin CSS properties.

If a specified image cannot be drawn (for example, when the file denoted by the specified URI cannot be loaded), browsers handle it as they would a none value.

Syntax

Each background image is specified either as the keyword none or as an <image> value.

To specify multiple background images, supply multiple values, separated by a comma:

  background-image:
    linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255,255,0,0.5), rgba(0,0,255,0.5)),
    url('https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/7693/catfront.png');

Values

none

Is a keyword denoting the absence of images.

<image>

Is an <image> denoting the image to display. There can be several of them, separated by commas, as multiple backgrounds are supported.

Formal syntax

<bg-image>#
where 
<bg-image> = none | <image>
where 
<image> = <url> | <image()> | <image-set()> | <element()> | <cross-fade()> | <gradient>
where 
<image()> = image( [ [ <image> | <string> ]? , <color>? ]! )
<image-set()> = image-set( <image-set-option># )
<element()> = element( <id-selector> )
<cross-fade()> = cross-fade( <cf-mixing-image> , <cf-final-image>? )
<gradient> = <linear-gradient()> | <repeating-linear-gradient()> | <radial-gradient()> | <repeating-radial-gradient()>
where 
<color> = <rgb()> | <rgba()> | <hsl()> | <hsla()> | <hex-color> | <named-color> | currentcolor | <deprecated-system-color>
<image-set-option> = [ <image> | <string> ] <resolution>
<cf-mixing-image> = <percentage>? && <image>
<cf-final-image> = <image> | <color>
<linear-gradient()> = linear-gradient( [ <angle> | to <side-or-corner> ]? , <color-stop-list> )
<repeating-linear-gradient()> = repeating-linear-gradient( [ <angle> | to <side-or-corner> ]? , <color-stop-list> )
<radial-gradient()> = radial-gradient( [ <ending-shape> || <size> ]? [ at <position> ]? , <color-stop-list> )
<repeating-radial-gradient()> = repeating-radial-gradient( [ <ending-shape> || <size> ]? [ at <position> ]? , <color-stop-list> )
where 
<rgb()> = rgb( [ [ <percentage>{3} | <number>{3} ] [ / <alpha-value> ]? ] | [ [ <percentage>#{3} | <number>#{3} ] , <alpha-value>? ] )
<rgba()> = rgba( [ [ <percentage>{3} | <number>{3} ] [ / <alpha-value> ]? ] | [ [ <percentage>#{3} | <number>#{3} ] , <alpha-value>? ] )
<hsl()> = hsl( [ <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ] | [ <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? ] )
<hsla()> = hsla( [ <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ] | [ <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? ] )
<side-or-corner> = [ left | right ] || [ top | bottom ]
<color-stop-list> = <color-stop>#{2,}
<ending-shape> = circle | ellipse
<size> = closest-side | farthest-side | closest-corner | farthest-corner | <length> | <length-percentage>{2}
<position> = [[ left | center | right | top | bottom | <length-percentage> ] | [ left | center | right | <length-percentage> ] [ top | center | bottom | <length-percentage> ] | [ center | [ left | right ] <length-percentage>? ] && [ center | [ top | bottom ] <length-percentage>? ]]
where 
<alpha-value> = <number> | <percentage>
<hue> = <number> | <angle>
<color-stop> = <color> <length-percentage>?
<length-percentage> = <length> | <percentage>

Examples

Note that the star image is partially transparent and is layered over the cat image.

HTML

<div>
    <p class="catsandstars">
        This paragraph is full of cats<br />and stars.
    </p>
    <p>This paragraph is not.</p>
    <p class="catsandstars">
        Here are more cats for you.<br />Look at them!
    </p>
    <p>And no more.</p>
</div>

CSS

p {
    font-size: 1.5em;
    color: #FE7F88;
    background-image: none;
    background-color: transparent;
}
div {
  background-image: url("https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/6457/mdn_logo_only_color.png");
}
.catsandstars {
  background-image:  url("https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/11991/startransparent.gif"), 
                     url("https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/7693/catfront.png");
  background-color: transparent;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

The compatibility table in this page is generated from structured data. If you'd like to contribute to the data, please check out https://github.com/mdn/browser-compat-data and send us a pull request.

1. If the browser.display.use_document_colors user preference in about:config is set to false, background images will not be displayed.

2. Some versions support only experimental gradients prefixed with -webkit.

3. Some versions support only experimental gradients prefixed with -moz.

4. Some versions support only experimental gradients prefixed with -o.

5. Support of SVG in CSS background is incomplete.

6. element() is supported only in its -moz-element() prefixed version

7. image-rect() is supported only in its -moz-image-rect() prefixed version.

See also

• CSS Image Sprites
• <img>
• Image-related articles: <image>, linear-gradient(), radial-gradient(), repeating-linear-gradient(), repeating-radial-gradient(), element().