CSS Layout - Horizontal & Vertical Align
Center elements
horizontally and vertically
Center Align Elements
To horizontally center a block element (like <div>), usemargin: auto;Setting the width of the element will prevent it from stretching out to the edges of its container.
The element will then take up the specified width, and the remaining space will be split equally between the two margins:
This div element is centered.
Example
.center {
margin: auto;
width: 50%;
border: 3px solid green;
padding: 10px;} width property is not set (or set to 100%).Center Align Text
To just center the text inside an element, usetext-align: center;This text is centered.
Example
.center {
text-align: center;
border: 3px solid green;} Center an Image
To center an image, usemargin: auto; and make it into a block element:
Example
img {
display: block;
margin: auto;
width: 40%;} Left and Right Align - Using position
One method for aligning elements is to useposition: absolute;:In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.
Example
.right {
position: absolute;
right: 0px;
width: 300px;
border: 3px solid #73AD21;
padding: 10px;} Tip: When aligning elements with
position, always define margin and padding for the <body> element. This is to avoid visual differences in different browsers.There is also a problem with IE8 and earlier, when using
position. If a container element (in our case <div class="container">) has a specified width, and the !DOCTYPE declaration is missing, IE8 and earlier versions will add a 17px margin on the right side. This seems to be space reserved for a scrollbar. So, always set the !DOCTYPE declaration when using position:Example
body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;}
.container {
position: relative;
width: 100%;}
.right {
position: absolute;
right: 0px;
width: 300px;
background-color: #b0e0e6;} Left and Right Align - Using float
Another method for aligning elements is to use thefloat property:Example
.right {
float: right;
width: 300px;
border: 3px solid #73AD21;
padding: 10px;} float, always define margin and padding for the <body> element. This is to avoid visual differences in different browsers.There is also a problem with IE8 and earlier, when using
float. If the !DOCTYPE declaration is missing, IE8 and earlier versions will add a 17px margin on the right side. This seems to be space reserved for a scrollbar. So, always set the !DOCTYPE declaration when using float:Example
body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;}
.right {
float: right;
width: 300px;
background-color: #b0e0e6;} Center Vertically - Using padding
There are many ways to center an element vertically in CSS. A simple solution is to use top and bottompadding:I am vertically centered.
Example
.center {
padding: 70px 0;
border: 3px solid green;} padding and text-align: center:I am vertically and horizontally centered.
Example
.center {
padding: 70px 0;
border: 3px solid green;
text-align: center;} Center Vertically - Using line-height
Another trick is to use theline-height property with a value that is equal to the height property.I am vertically and horizontally centered.
Example
.center {
line-height: 200px;
height: 200px;
border: 3px solid green;
text-align: center;}
/* If the text has multiple lines, add the following: */
.center p {
line-height: 1.5;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: middle;} Center Vertically - Using position & transform
Ifpadding and line-height is not an option, a third solution is to use positioning and the transform property:I am vertically and horizontally centered.
Example
.center {
height: 200px;
position: relative;
border: 3px solid green; }
.center p {
margin: 0;
position: absolute;
top: 50%;
left: 50%;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%);} 
