transform-origin

The transform-origin property lets you modify the origin for transformations of an element. For example, the transform-origin of the rotate() function is the centre of rotation. (This property is applied by first translating the element by the negated value of the property, then applying the element's transform, then translating by the property value.)

/* One-value syntax */
transform-origin: 2px;
transform-origin: bottom;
/* x-offset y-offset */
transform-origin: 3cm 2px;
/* y-offset x-offset-keyword */
transform-origin: 2px left;
/* x-offset-keyword y-offset */
transform-origin: left 2px;
/* x-offset-keyword y-offset-keyword */
transform-origin: right top;
/* y-offset-keyword x-offset-keyword */
transform-origin: top right;
/* x-offset y-offset z-offset */
transform-origin: 2px 30% 10px;
/* y-offset x-offset-keyword z-offset */
transform-origin: 2px left 10px;
/* x-offset-keyword y-offset z-offset */
transform-origin: left 5px -3px;
/* x-offset-keyword y-offset-keyword z-offset */
transform-origin: right bottom 2cm;
/* y-offset-keyword x-offset-keyword z-offset */
transform-origin: bottom right 2cm;
/* Global values */
transform-origin: inherit;
transform-origin: initial;
transform-origin: unset;

Not explicitly set values are reset to their corresponding values.

Syntax

The transform-origin property may be specified using  one, two, or three values.

• one value syntax: the value must be any one of:
  • a <length>
  • a <percentage>
  • the keywords left, center, right, top, bottom
• two-value syntax:
  • one value must be a <length>, or a <percentage>, or one of the keywords left, center, right
  • the other value must be a <length>, or a <percentage>, or one of the keywords top, center, bottom
• three value syntax:
  • the first two values are the same as for two-value syntax
  • the third value must be a <length>

Values

x-offset

Is a <length> or a <percentage> describing how far from the left edge of the box the origin of the transform is set.

offset-keyword

Is one of the left, right, top, bottom or center keyword describing the corresponding offset.

y-offset

Is a <length> or a <percentage> describing how far from the top edge of the box the origin of the transform is set.

x-offset-keyword

Is one of the left, right or center keyword describing how far from the left edge of the box the origin of the transform is set.

y-offset-keyword

Is one of the top, bottom or center keyword describing how far from the top edge of the box the origin of the transform is set.

z-offset

Is a <length> (and never a <percentage> which would make the statement invalid) describing how far from the user eye the z=0 origin is set.

The keywords are convenience shorthands and match the following <percentage> values:

Formal syntax

[ <length-percentage> | left | center | right | top | bottom ] | [ [ <length-percentage> | left | center | right ] && [ <length-percentage> | top | center | bottom ] ] <length>?
where 
<length-percentage> = <length> | <percentage>

Examples

See Using CSS transforms for examples.

Live Examples

<div class="box1">&nbsp;</div>

.box1 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform: none;
-webkit-transform: none;
-moz-transform: none;
-o-transform: none;
}

<div class="box2">&nbsp;</div>

.box2 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform: rotate(30deg);
-webkit-transform: rotate(30deg);
-moz-transform: rotate(30deg);
-o-transform: rotate(30deg);
}

<div class="box3">&nbsp;</div>

.box3 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform-origin: 0 0;
transform: rotate(30deg);
-webkit-transform: rotate(30deg);
-moz-transform: rotate(30deg);
-o-transform: rotate(30deg);
}

<div class="box4">&nbsp;</div>

.box4 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform-origin: 100% 100%;
transform: rotate(30deg);
-webkit-transform: rotate(30deg);
-moz-transform: rotate(30deg);
-o-transform: rotate(30deg);
}

<div class="box5">&nbsp;</div>

.box5 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform-origin: -10em -30em;
transform: rotate(30deg);
-webkit-transform: rotate(30deg);
-moz-transform: rotate(30deg);
-o-transform: rotate(30deg);
}

<div class="box6">&nbsp;</div>

.box6 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform: scale(1.9);
-webkit-transform: scale(1.9);
-moz-transform: scale(1.9);
-o-transform: scale(1.9);
}

<div class="box7">&nbsp;</div>

.box7 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform: scale(1.9);
-webkit-transform: scale(1.9);
-moz-transform: scale(1.9);
-o-transform: scale(1.9);
transform-origin: 0 0;
-webkit-transform-origin: 0 0;
-moz-transform-origin: 0 0;
-o-transform-origin: 0 0;
}

<div class="box8">&nbsp;</div>

.box8 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform: scale(1.9);
-webkit-transform: scale(1.9);
-moz-transform: scale(1.9);
-o-transform: scale(1.9);
transform-origin: 100% -30%;
-webkit-transform-origin: 100% -30%;
-moz-transform-origin: 100% -30%;
-o-transform-origin: 100% -30%;
}

<div class="box9">&nbsp;</div>

.box9 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform: skewX(50deg);
transform-origin: 100% -30%;
-webkit-transform: skewX(50deg);
-moz-transform: skewX(50deg);
-o-transform: skewX(50deg);
}

<div class="box10">&nbsp;</div>

.box10 {
margin: 0.5em;
width: 3em;
height: 3em;
border: solid 1px;
background-color: palegreen;
transform: skewY(50deg);
-webkit-transform: skewY(50deg);
-moz-transform: skewY(50deg);
-o-transform: skewY(50deg);
transform-origin: 100% -30%;
-webkit-transform-origin: 100% -30%;
-moz-transform-origin: 100% -30%;
-o-transform-origin: 100% -30%;
}

Specifications

Browser compatibility

[1] Internet Explorer 5.5 or later supports a proprietary Matrix Filter which can be used to achieve similar effects.

[2] In addition to the unprefixed support, Gecko 44.0 (Firefox 44.0 / Thunderbird 44.0 / SeaMonkey 2.41) added support for a -webkit prefixed version of the property for web compatibility reasons behind the preference layout.css.prefixes.webkit, defaulting to false. Since Gecko 49.0 (Firefox 49.0 / Thunderbird 49.0 / SeaMonkey 2.46) the preference defaults to true.

[3] See MSDN transform-origin documentation.

[4] Percentage handling for transform-origin values for SVG elements was behind the preference svg.transform-origin.enabled, defaulting to false. Keywords and percentages refer to the canvas instead of the object itself. See bug 1209061.

[5] Keywords and percentages refer to the canvas instead of the object itself. See bug 1209061.

See also

• Using CSS Transforms