CSS - border-color

The border-color CSS property is a shorthand for setting the color of the four sides of an element's border: border-top-color, border-right-color, border-bottom-color, border-left-color

Example

HTML Content

HTML

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<div id="justone">
  <p><code>border-color: red;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul><li><code>border-top-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: red;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>
<div id="horzvert">
  <p><code>border-color: gold red;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul><li><code>border-top-color: gold;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: gold;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: red;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>
<div id="topvertbott">
  <p><code>border-color: red cyan gold;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul><li><code>border-top-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: cyan;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: gold;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: cyan;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>
<div id="trbl">
  <p><code>border-color: cyan black gold;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul><li><code>border-top-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: cyan;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: black;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: gold;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>

CSS Content

CSS

Copy Code

#justone {
  border-color: red;
}

#horzvert {
  border-color: gold red;
}

#topvertbott {
  border-color: red cyan gold;
}

#trbl {
  border-color: red cyan black gold;
}

/* Set width and style for all divs */
div {
  border: solid 0.3em;
  width: auto;
  margin: 0.5em;
  padding: 0.5em;
}

ul {
  margin: 0;
  list-style: none;
}

Result

Syntax

CSS

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/* border-color: color */ /* the color applies to all sides */ 
border-color: red;

/* border-color: top&bottom right&left */
border-color: red #f015ca;

/* border-color: top right&left bottom */
border-color: red yellow green;

/* border-color: top right bottom left */
border-color: red yellow green blue;

border-color: inherit;

Values

color: Is a <color> denoting the color to apply to the edges.
inherit: Is a keyword indicating that all four values are inherited from their parent's element calculated value.

Formal syntax

CSS

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<a title="" href="css/color_value"><color></a><a title="Curly braces" href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)">{</a>1,4<a title="Curly braces" href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)">}</a><p>where <br><code><color> = <a href="css/border-color#rgb()"><rgb()></a> <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <a href="css/border-color#rgba()"><rgba()></a> <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <a href="css/border-color#hsl()"><hsl()></a> <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <a href="css/border-color#hsla()"><hsla()></a> <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <hex-color> <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <a href="css/border-color#named-color"><named-color></a> <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> currentcolor <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <a href="css/border-color#deprecated-system-color"><deprecated-system-color></a></code></p><p>where <br><code><rgb()> = rgb( <a href="css/border-color#rgb-component"><rgb-component></a><a title="Hash mark" href="css/value_definition_syntax#hash_mark_(.23)">#</a><a title="Curly braces" href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)">{</a>3<a title="Curly braces" href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)">}</a> )<br><rgba()> = rgba( <a href="css/border-color#rgb-component"><rgb-component></a><a title="Hash mark" href="css/value_definition_syntax#hash_mark_(.23)">#</a><a title="Curly braces" href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)">{</a>3<a title="Curly braces" href="css/value_definition_syntax#curly_braces_(.7b_.7d)">}</a> , <a href="css/border-color#alpha-value"><alpha-value></a> )<br><hsl()> = hsl( <a href="css/border-color#hue"><hue></a>, <a title="" href="css/percentage"><percentage></a>, <a title="" href="css/percentage"><percentage></a> )<br><hsla()> = hsla( <a href="css/border-color#hue"><hue></a>, <a title="" href="css/percentage"><percentage></a>, <a title="" href="css/percentage"><percentage></a>, <a href="css/border-color#alpha-value"><alpha-value></a> )<br><named-color> = <ident><br><deprecated-system-color> = ActiveBorder <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ActiveCaption <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> AppWorkspace <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> Background <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ButtonFace <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ButtonHighlight <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ButtonShadow <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ButtonText <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> CaptionText <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> GrayText <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> Highlight <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> HighlightText <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> InactiveBorder <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> InactiveCaption <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> InactiveCaptionText <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> InfoBackground <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> InfoText <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> Menu <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> MenuText <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> Scrollbar <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ThreeDDarkShadow <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ThreeDFace <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ThreeDHighlight <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ThreeDLightShadow <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> ThreeDShadow <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> Window <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> WindowFrame <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> WindowText</code></p><p>where <br><code><rgb-component> = <a title="" href="css/integer"><integer></a> <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <a title="" href="css/percentage"><percentage></a><br><alpha-value> = <a title="" href="css/number"><number></a><br><hue> = <a title="" href="css/number"><number></a></code></p>

Description

The border-color CSS property is a shorthand for setting the color of the four sides of an element's border: border-top-color, border-right-color, border-bottom-color, border-left-color

Initial value	as each of the properties of the shorthand: `border-top-color`: `currentColor` `border-right-color`: `currentColor` `border-bottom-color`: `currentColor` `border-left-color`: `currentColor`
Applies to	all elements. It also applies to `::first-letter`.
Inherited	no
Media	visual
Computed value	as each of the properties of the shorthand: `border-bottom-color`: If the value is translucent, the computed value will be the `rgba()` corresponding one. If it isn't, it will be the `rgb()` corresponding one. The `transparent` keyword maps to `rgba(0,0,0,0)`. `border-left-color`: If the value is translucent, the computed value will be the `rgba()` corresponding one. If it isn't, it will be the `rgb()` corresponding one. The `transparent` keyword maps to `rgba(0,0,0,0)`. `border-right-color`: If the value is translucent, the computed value will be the `rgba()` corresponding one. If it isn't, it will be the `rgb()` corresponding one. The `transparent` keyword maps to `rgba(0,0,0,0)`. `border-top-color`: If the value is translucent, the computed value will be the `rgba()` corresponding one. If it isn't, it will be the `rgb()` corresponding one. The `transparent` keyword maps to `rgba(0,0,0,0)`.
Animatable	as each of the properties of the shorthand: `border-bottom-color`: yes, as a color `border-left-color`: yes, as a color `border-right-color`: yes, as a color `border-top-color`: yes, as a color
Canonical order	the unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar

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 (85)

Feature	Android	Firefox Mobile (Gecko)	IE Phone	Opera Mobile	Safari Mobile
Basic support	4.0	1.0 (1.9.2) [1]	7.0	11	1.0

[1] The following Mozilla extensions set the border sides to multiple colors for Gecko based browsers like Firefox. -moz-border-top-colors, -moz-border-right-colors, -moz-border-bottom-colors, -moz-border-left-colors

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Backgrounds and Borders Module Level 3 The definition of 'border-color' in that specification.	Candidate Recommendation	The `transparent` keyword has been removed as it is now a part of the `<color>` data type.
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of 'border-color' in that specification.	Recommendation	The property is now a shorthand property
CSS Level 1 The definition of 'border-color' 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/border-color

CSS CSS Borders CSS Property Reference

CSS - border-color

Example

HTML Content

CSS Content

Result

Syntax

Values

Formal syntax

Description

Browser Compatibility

See Also

Specifications

License