Web/CSS/image

The <image> CSS data type represents a two-dimensional image.

Syntax

The <image> data type can be represented with any of the following:

An image denoted by the <url> data type
A <gradient> data type
A part of the webpage, defined by the element() function
An image, image fragment or solid patch of color, defined by the image() function
A blending of two or more images defined by the cross-fade() function.
A selection of images chosen based on resolution defined by the image-set() function.

Description

CSS can handle the following kinds of images:

Images with intrinsic dimensions (a natural size), like a JPEG, PNG, or other raster format.
Images with multiple intrinsic dimensions, existing in multiple versions inside a single file, like some .ico formats. (In this case, the intrinsic dimensions will be those of the image largest in area and the aspect ratio most similar to the containing box.)
Images with no intrinsic dimensions but with an intrinsic aspect ratio between its width and height, like an SVG or other vector format.
Images with neither intrinsic dimensions, nor an intrinsic aspect ratio, like a CSS gradient.

CSS determines an object's concrete size using (1) its intrinsic dimensions; (2) its specified size, defined by CSS properties like width, height, or background-size; and (3) its default size, determined by the kind of property the image is used with:

Kind of Object (CSS Property)	Default object size
`background-image`	The size of the element's background positioning area
`list-style-image`	The size of a `1em` character
`border-image-source`	The size of the element's border image area
`cursor`	The browser-defined size matching the usual cursor size on the client's system
`mask-image`	?
`shape-outside`	?
`mask-border-source`	?
`symbols` for @counter-style	At risk feature. If supported, the browser-defined size matching the usual cursor size on the client's system
`content` for a pseudo-element (`::after`/`::before`)	A 300px × 150px rectangle

The concrete object size is calculated using the following algorithm:

If the specified size defines both the width and the height, these values are used as the concrete object size.
If the specified size defines only the width or only the height, the missing value is determined using the intrinsic ratio, if there is any, the intrinsic dimensions if the specified value matches, or the default object size for that missing value.
If the specified size defines neither the width nor the height, the concrete object size is calculated so that it matches the intrinsic aspect ratio of the image but without exceeding the default object size in any dimension. If the image has no intrinsic aspect ratio, the intrinsic aspect ratio of the object it applies to is used; if this object has none, the missing width or height are taken from the default object size.

Note: Not all browsers support every type of image on every property. See the browser compatibility section for details.

Accessibility concerns

Browsers do not provide any special information on background images to assistive technology. This is important primarily for screen readers, as a screen reader will not announce its presence and therefore convey nothing to its users. If the image contains information critical to understanding the page's overall purpose, it is better to describe it semantically in the document.

Examples

Valid images

url(test.jpg)               /* A <url>, as long as test.jpg is an actual image */
linear-gradient(blue, red)  /* A <gradient> */
element(#realid)            /* A part of the webpage, referenced with the element() function,
                               if "realid" is an existing ID on the page */ 
image(ltr 'arrow.png#xywh=0,0,16,16', red) 
                            /* A section 16x16 section of <url>, starting from the top, left of the original
                               image as long as arrow.png is a supported image, otherwise a solid 
                               red swatch. If language is rtl, the image will be horizontally flipped. */ 
cross-fade(20% url(twenty.png), url(eighty.png)) 
                            /* cross faded images, with twenty being 20% opaque 
                               and eighty being 80% opaque. */ 
image-set('test.jpg' 1x, 'test-2x.jpg' 2x)  
                            /* a selection of images with varying resolutions */

Invalid images

nourl.jpg            /* An image file must be defined using the url() function. */
url(report.pdf)      /* A file pointed to by the url() function must be an image. */
element(#fakeid)     /* An element ID must be an existing ID on the page. */ 
image(z.jpg#xy=0,0)  /* The spatial fragment must be written in the format of xywh=#,#,#,# */
image-set('cat.jpg' 1x, 'dog.jpg' 1x) /* every image in an image set must have a different resolutions */

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Images Module Level 4The definition of '<image>' in that specification.	Working Draft	Adds `element()`, `image()`, `image-set()`, `conic-gradient()`, `repeating-conic-gradient()`, and `image-resolution`.
CSS Images Module Level 3The definition of '<image>' in that specification.	Candidate Recommendation	Initial definition. Before this, there was no explicitly defined `<image>` data type. Images could only be defined using the `url()` functional notation.

Browser compatibility

Update compatibility data on GitHub

	Desktop						Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari	Android webview	Chrome for Android	Firefox for Android	Opera for Android	Safari on iOS	Samsung Internet
`<image>`	Chrome Full support 1	Edge Full support 12	Firefox Full support 1	IE Full support 10	Opera Full support 2	Safari Full support 1	WebView Android Full support 1	Chrome Android Full support 18	Firefox Android Full support 4	Opera Android Full support 11	Safari iOS Full support 1	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.0
`cross-fade()`	Chrome Full support 17 Prefixed' Notes' Full support 17 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	Edge Full support 79 Prefixed' Notes' Full support 79 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	Firefox No support No	IE No support No	Opera Full support 15 Prefixed' Notes' Full support 15 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	Safari Full support 10 Notes' Full support 10 Notes' Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only. Full support 5.1 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	WebView Android Full support ≤37 Prefixed' Notes' Full support ≤37 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	Chrome Android Full support 18 Prefixed' Notes' Full support 18 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	Firefox Android No support No	Opera Android Full support 14 Prefixed' Notes' Full support 14 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	Safari iOS Full support 9.3 Notes' Full support 9.3 Notes' Notes' Support for the original dual-image with percentage implementation only. Full support 5 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Supports the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.0 Prefixed' Notes' Full support 1.0 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Support for the original dual-image with percentage implementation only.
`element()` Experimental'	Chrome No support No	Edge No support No	Firefox Full support 57 Prefixed' Full support 57 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -moz- No support 29 — 57 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -moz- Notes' `-moz-element()` is limited to `background-image`, `background`, `border-image` and `border-image-source`. No support 4 — 29 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -moz- Notes' `-moz-element()` is limited to `background-image` and `background`.	IE No support No	Opera No support No	Safari No support No	WebView Android No support No	Chrome Android No support No	Firefox Android Full support 60 Prefixed' Full support 60 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -moz- No support 29 — 60 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -moz- Notes' `-moz-element()` is limited to `background-image`, `background`, `border-image` and `border-image-source`. No support 4 — 29 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -moz- Notes' `-moz-element()` is limited to `background-image` and `background`.	Opera Android No support No	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android No support No
`<gradient>`	Chrome Full support 26 Full support 26 Full support 10 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Edge Full support 12 Prefixed' Full support 12 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -ms-	Firefox Full support 3.6 Notes' Full support 3.6 Notes' Notes' Gradients are limited to `background-image`, `border-image`, and `mask-image`.	IE Full support 10 Prefixed' Full support 10 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -ms-	Opera Full support 12.1 Full support 12.1 No support 11 — 15 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -o- Full support 15 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Safari Full support 6.1 Full support 6.1 Full support 5.1 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	WebView Android Full support ≤37 Full support ≤37 Full support ≤37 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Chrome Android Full support 26 Full support 26 Full support 18 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Firefox Android Full support 4 Notes' Full support 4 Notes' Notes' Gradients are limited to `background-image`, `border-image`, and `mask-image`.	Opera Android Full support 12.1 Full support 12.1 No support 11 — 14 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -o- Full support 14 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Safari iOS Full support 7 Full support 7 Full support 6 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.5 Full support 1.5 Full support 1.0 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
`image()`	Chrome No support No	Edge No support No	Firefox No support No Notes' No support No Notes' Notes' The `-moz-image-rect()` function supports fragments as of Firefox 4.	IE No support No	Opera No support No	Safari No support No	WebView Android No support No	Chrome Android No support No	Firefox Android No support No Notes' No support No Notes' Notes' The `-moz-image-rect()` function supports fragments as of Firefox 4.	Opera Android No support No	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android No support No
`image-set()`	Chrome Full support 21 Prefixed' Full support 21 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Edge Full support 79 Prefixed' Full support 79 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Firefox No support No Notes' No support No Notes' Notes' See bug 1107646.	IE No support No	Opera Full support 15 Prefixed' Full support 15 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Safari Partial support 6 Prefixed' Notes' Partial support 6 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Support for `url` images only and `x` is the only supported resolution unit. See bug 160934.	WebView Android Full support 4.4 Prefixed' Full support 4.4 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Chrome Android Full support 25 Prefixed' Full support 25 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Firefox Android No support No Notes' No support No Notes' Notes' See bug 1107646.	Opera Android Full support 14 Prefixed' Full support 14 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-	Safari iOS Partial support 6 Prefixed' Notes' Partial support 6 Prefixed' Notes' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit- Notes' Support for `url` images only and `x` is the only supported resolution unit. See bug 160934.	Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.5 Prefixed' Full support 1.5 Prefixed' Prefixed' Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
`paint()`	Chrome Full support 65	Edge Full support 79	Firefox No support No	IE No support No	Opera Full support 52	Safari No support No	WebView Android Full support 65	Chrome Android Full support 65	Firefox Android No support No	Opera Android Full support 47	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android Full support 9.2

Legend

Full support: Full support
Partial support: Partial support
No support: No support
Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.': Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.
See implementation notes.': See implementation notes.
Requires a vendor prefix or different name for use.': Requires a vendor prefix or different name for use.