Border Height on CSS

css

responsive-design

best-practices

css-pseudo-elements

byNikita Barsukov·Nov 19, 2024

To achieve a custom border height, harness the power of CSS pseudo-elements. Simulate a border like so:

.element::after {
  content: '';
  display: block; /* This makes the magic happen */
  position: absolute; /* Gives you control, like a CSS puppet master */
  width: 100%; /* Full width, kinda like my last pizza */
  height: 10px; /* Set border height here, 10px is just a suggestion */
  background: black; /* Set border color here. I like black. It matches my code-filled soul. */
  top: 100%; /* Puts the border right after the element. Neat, huh? */
}

Just alter height to set thickness, background for color, and use position: absolute; to place the border precisely where you need it on the element. Stick this pseudo-element to any class to apply a uniform custom border across distinct elements.

Specific border manipulation

Partial Border Customization

You might not always want to dress up all sides of an element in custom border bling. Sometimes, just one or two sides need that extra flair. For such cases, ::before or ::after pseudo-elements are your perfect accomplices:

.element::before {
  content: '';
  position: absolute; /* Puts you in control, like a CSS padawan */
  background: black; /* Again, any color. I chose black. Sue me */
  bottom: 0; /* Specifies the border to the bottom of the box */
  left: 0; /* Starts the border from the left side */
  width: 100%; /* Take up the whole width, like a python */
  height: 5px; /* Border height. Yeah, you got this by now, right? */
}

Non-standard Border Heights

Inconventional situations call for unconventional measures. line-height empowers you to manage the border height and the position of text independently. Packing a <span> inside a table cell and applying the border and height to it, gives you an extra layer of control over your styling adventures:

span.custom-border {
  display: inline-block; /* Cause inline and block had a baby */
  border-bottom: 2px solid blue; /* Easy peasy lemon squeezy */
}

Background Images for Border Control

Control border dimensions with precision with a 1px wide PNG as a background image:

.element {
  background: url('border.png') repeat-y right top; /* Yep, that's a repeating border image */
  padding-right: 10px; /* Ensures your beautiful border doesn't get covered */
}

Remember, proper alignment of the background image within the cell/ element is crucial for user experience and neat aesthetics.

Styling nuances for controlled borders

Working with Flexbox

Ever heard of flexbox? It's a pretty efficient way of managing your borders' layout and spaces between elements:

.flex-container {
  display: flex; /* #BecauseFlex */
  align-items: center; /* Keeps everything in line, like a strict but fair teacher */
  justify-content: space-between; /* Keeps everything nicely organized */
}
.flex-item {
  border-right: 5px solid green; /* Funky border right there */
}

Balancing Aesthetics and Semantics

Always aim to fit your styles within a proper HTML semantic structure for optimal accessibility and SEO. When you position your pseudo-element borders, align them correctly within the element. Misalignment is not just visually disruptive but can also impact usability.

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