CSS - background-image

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

Examples

Example1

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

HTML

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

CSS
pre, p {
    font-size: 1.5em;
    color: #FE7F88;
    background-color: transparent;
}

div {
  background-image: url("https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/6457/mdn_logo_only_color.png");
}

p {
  background-image: none;
}

.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

Syntax  

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

background-image: inherit;

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

CSS
<a href="css/background-image#bg-image"><bg-image></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#hash_mark_(.23)" title="Hash mark">#</a><p>where <br><code><bg-image> = none <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/image" title=""><image></a></code></p><p>where <br><code><image> = <a href="css/url" title=""><url></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#image()"><image()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#image-set()"><image-set()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#element()"><element()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#cross-fade()"><cross-fade()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#gradient"><gradient></a></code></p><p>where <br><code><image()> = image( <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> <a href="css/image" title=""><image></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/string" title=""><string></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> , <a href="css/color_value" title=""><color></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a>! )<br><image-set()> = image-set( <a href="css/background-image#image-set-option"><image-set-option></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#hash_mark_(.23)" title="Hash mark">#</a> )<br><element()> = element( <id-selector> )<br><cross-fade()> = cross-fade( <a href="css/background-image#cf-mixing-image"><cf-mixing-image></a> , <a href="css/background-image#cf-final-image"><cf-final-image></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> )<br><gradient> = <a href="css/background-image#linear-gradient()"><linear-gradient()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#repeating-linear-gradient()"><repeating-linear-gradient()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#radial-gradient()"><radial-gradient()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#repeating-radial-gradient()"><repeating-radial-gradient()></a></code></p><p>where <br><code><color> = <a href="css/background-image#rgb()"><rgb()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#rgba()"><rgba()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#hsl()"><hsl()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#hsla()"><hsla()></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <hex-color> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#named-color"><named-color></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> currentcolor <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#deprecated-system-color"><deprecated-system-color></a><br><image-set-option> = <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> <a href="css/image" title=""><image></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/string" title=""><string></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> <a href="css/resolution" title=""><resolution></a><br><cf-mixing-image> = <a href="css/percentage" title=""><percentage></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> && <a href="css/image" title=""><image></a><br><cf-final-image> = <a href="css/image" title=""><image></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/color_value" title=""><color></a><br><linear-gradient()> = linear-gradient( <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> <a href="css/angle" title="Possible values: a number followed by'deg', 'grad', 'rad' or 'turn', like 2turn, 1.3rad, -60deg or 0grad."><angle></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> to <a href="css/background-image#side-or-corner"><side-or-corner></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> , <a href="css/background-image#color-stop-list"><color-stop-list></a> )<br><repeating-linear-gradient()> = repeating-linear-gradient( <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> <a href="css/angle" title="Possible values: a number followed by'deg', 'grad', 'rad' or 'turn', like 2turn, 1.3rad, -60deg or 0grad."><angle></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> to <a href="css/background-image#side-or-corner"><side-or-corner></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> , <a href="css/background-image#color-stop-list"><color-stop-list></a> )<br><radial-gradient()> = radial-gradient( <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> <a href="css/background-image#ending-shape"><ending-shape></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#double_bar" title="Double bar">||</a> <a href="css/background-image#size"><size></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> at <a href="css/position_value" title=""><position></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> , <a href="css/background-image#color-stop-list"><color-stop-list></a> )<br><repeating-radial-gradient()> = repeating-radial-gradient( <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> <a href="css/background-image#ending-shape"><ending-shape></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#double_bar" title="Double bar">||</a> <a href="css/background-image#size"><size></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> at <a href="css/position_value" title=""><position></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> , <a href="css/background-image#color-stop-list"><color-stop-list></a> )</code></p><p>where <br><code><rgb()> = rgb( <a href="css/background-image#rgb-component"><rgb-component></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#hash_mark_(.23)" title="Hash mark">#</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">{</a>3<a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">}</a> )<br><rgba()> = rgba( <a href="css/background-image#rgb-component"><rgb-component></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#hash_mark_(.23)" title="Hash mark">#</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">{</a>3<a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">}</a> , <a href="css/background-image#alpha-value"><alpha-value></a> )<br><hsl()> = hsl( <a href="css/background-image#hue"><hue></a>, <a href="css/percentage" title=""><percentage></a>, <a href="css/percentage" title=""><percentage></a> )<br><hsla()> = hsla( <a href="css/background-image#hue"><hue></a>, <a href="css/percentage" title=""><percentage></a>, <a href="css/percentage" title=""><percentage></a>, <a href="css/background-image#alpha-value"><alpha-value></a> )<br><named-color> = <ident><br><deprecated-system-color> = ActiveBorder <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ActiveCaption <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> AppWorkspace <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> Background <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ButtonFace <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ButtonHighlight <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ButtonShadow <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ButtonText <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> CaptionText <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> GrayText <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> Highlight <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> HighlightText <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> InactiveBorder <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> InactiveCaption <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> InactiveCaptionText <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> InfoBackground <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> InfoText <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> Menu <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> MenuText <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> Scrollbar <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ThreeDDarkShadow <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ThreeDFace <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ThreeDHighlight <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ThreeDLightShadow <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ThreeDShadow <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> Window <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> WindowFrame <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> WindowText<br><side-or-corner> = <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> left <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> right <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#double_bar" title="Double bar">||</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> top <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> bottom <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><br><color-stop-list> = <a href="css/background-image#color-stop"><color-stop></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">{</a>2,}<br><ending-shape> = circle <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> ellipse<br><size> = closest-side <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> farthest-side <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> closest-corner <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> farthest-corner <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/length" title="Possible values: a number followed by'em', 'ex', 'ch', 'rem', 'px', 'cm', 'mm', 'in', 'vh', 'vw', 'vmin', 'vmax', 'pt', 'pc' or 'px', like 3px, 1.5cm, -0.5em or 0"><length></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#length-percentage"><length-percentage></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">{</a>2<a href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)" title="Curly braces">}</a><br><position> = <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> left <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> center <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> right <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> top <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> bottom <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#length-percentage"><length-percentage></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> left <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> center <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> right <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#length-percentage"><length-percentage></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> top <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> center <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> bottom <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/background-image#length-percentage"><length-percentage></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> center <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> left <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> right <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> <a href="css/background-image#length-percentage"><length-percentage></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> && <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> center <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">[</a> top <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> bottom <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a> <a href="css/background-image#length-percentage"><length-percentage></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets" title="Brackets">]</a><br></code></p><p>where <br><code><rgb-component> = <a href="css/integer" title=""><integer></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/percentage" title=""><percentage></a><br><alpha-value> = <a href="css/number" title=""><number></a><br><hue> = <a href="css/number" title=""><number></a><br><color-stop> = <a href="css/color_value" title=""><color></a> <a href="css/background-image#length-percentage"><length-percentage></a><a href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)" title="Question mark">?</a><br><length-percentage> = <a href="css/length" title="Possible values: a number followed by'em', 'ex', 'ch', 'rem', 'px', 'cm', 'mm', 'in', 'vh', 'vw', 'vmin', 'vmax', 'pt', 'pc' or 'px', like 3px, 1.5cm, -0.5em or 0"><length></a> <a href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar" title="Single bar">|</a> <a href="css/percentage" title=""><percentage></a></code></p>

Description  

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

Note: Even if the images are opaque and the color won't be displayed in normal circumstances, web developers should always specify a background-color. If the images cannot be loaded—for instance, when the network is down—the background color will be used as a fallback.

Initial valuenone
Applies toall elements. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line.
Inheritedno
Mediavisual
Computed valueas specified, but with URIs made absolute
Animatableno
Canonical orderthe unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar

Browser Compatibility  

Feature Chrome Firefox (Gecko) Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support 1.0 1.0 (1.7 or earlier)[1] 4.0 3.5 1.0
Multiple backgrounds 1.0 3.6 (1.9.2) 9.0 (Yes) 1.3
Gradients 1.0-webkit 3.6 (1.9.2)-moz 10 11-o 4.0-webkit
SVG images 8.0 4.0 (2.0) 9.0 9.5 5.0 [2]
element ? (Yes)-moz No support No support No support
image-rect No support (Yes)-moz No support No support No support
Any <image> value. ? No support ? ? ?
Feature Safari Mobile Opera Mini Opera Mobile Android
Basic support (Yes) (Yes) (Yes) (Yes)
Multiple backgrounds (Yes) (Yes) (Yes) (Yes)
Gradients (Yes) -webkit
[3]		 ? ? (Yes) -webkit [4]
SVG images (Yes) [2] (Yes) (Yes) No support
element (Yes)-moz ? ? ?
image-rect (Yes)-moz No support No support No support
Any <image> value No support ? ? ?

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

[2] Support of SVG in CSS background is incomplete in the current version of iOS Safari (5.0). The same for Safari prior 5.0.

[3] Old webkit syntax for iOS 4.2 and older

[4] Old webkit syntax

See Also  

Specifications  

Specification Status Comment
CSS Backgrounds and Borders Module Level 3
The definition of 'background-image' in that specification.		 Candidate Recommendation From CSS2 Revision 1, the property has been extended to support multiple backgrounds and any <image> CSS data type.
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1)
The definition of 'background-image' in that specification.		 Recommendation From CSS1, the way images with and without intrinsic dimensions are handled is now described.
CSS Level 1
The definition of 'background-image' in that specification.		 Recommendation Initial definition

License

© 2016 Mozilla Contributors
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-us/docs/web/css/background-image

CSS CSS Background CSS Property NeedsMobileBrowserCompatibility Reference