CSS - initial-letter

The initial-letter CSS property specifies styling for dropped, raised, and sunken initial letters.

Example

 

CSS content

CSS
.normal {
  initial-letter: normal;
}
.onefive {
  initial-letter: 1.5;
}
.three {
  initial-letter: 3.0;
}

HTML content

HTML
<p class="normal">Initial letter is normal</p>
<p class="onefive">Initial letter occupies 1.5 lines</p>
<p class="three">Initial letter occupies 3 lines</p>

Output

Syntax  

CSS
/* Keyword values */
initial-letter: normal;

/* Numeric values */
initial-letter: 1.5;     /* Initial letter occupies 1.5 lines */
initial-letter: 3.0;    /* Initial letter occupies 3 lines */
initial-letter: 3.0 2;  /* Initial letter occupies 3 lines and sinks 2 lines */

/* Global values */
initial-letter: inherit;
initial-letter: initial;
initial-letter: unset;

Values

normal
No special initial-letter effect. Text behaves as normal.
<number>
This first argument defines the size of the initial letter, in terms of how many lines it occupies. Negative values are not allowed.
<integer>
This optional second argument argument defines the number of lines the initial letter should sink. Values must be greater than zero. If omitted, it duplicates the first argument, floored to the nearest positive whole number.

Formal syntax

CSS
normal <a title="Single bar" href="css/value_definition_syntax#single_bar">|</a> <a title="Brackets" href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets">[</a> <a title="" href="css/number"><number></a> <a title="" href="css/integer"><integer></a><a title="Question mark" href="css/value_definition_syntax#question_mark_(.3f)">?</a> <a title="Brackets" href="css/value_definition_syntax#brackets">]</a>

Description  

The initial-letter CSS property specifies styling for dropped, raised, and sunken initial letters.

Initial valuenormal
Applies to::first-letter pseudo-elements and inline-level first child of a block container
Inheritedno
Mediavisual
Computed valueas specified
Animation typediscrete
Canonical orderthe unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar

Browser Compatibility  

Feature Chrome Firefox (Gecko) Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support No support No support No support No support AppleWebKit/603
Feature Android Firefox Mobile (Gecko) IE Mobile Opera Mobile Safari Mobile
Basic support No support No support No support No support No support

Specifications  

Specification Status Comment
CSS Inline Layout
The definition of 'initial-letter' in that specification.
Working Draft 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/initial-letter

CSS CSS Property Experimental Graphics Layout Reference Web