Center Align Elements
To horizontally center a block element (like <div>), use margin: 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:
Example
.center {
margin: auto;
width: 50%;
border: 3px solid green;
padding: 10px;
}
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Note: Center aligning has no effect if the width property is not set (or set to 100%).
Center Align Text
To just center the text inside an element, use text-align: center;
Example
.center {
text-align: center;
border: 3px solid green;
}
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Tip: For more examples on how to align text, see the CSS Text chapter.
Center an Image
To center an image, use margin: auto; and make it into a block element:
Example
img {
display: block;
margin: auto;
width: 40%;
}
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Left and Right Align - Using position
One method for aligning elements is to use position: absolute;:
Example
.right {
position: absolute;
right: 0px;
width: 300px;
border: 3px solid #73AD21;
padding: 10px;
}
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Note: Absolute positioned elements are removed from the normal flow, and can overlap elements.
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;
}
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Left and Right Align - Using float
Another method for aligning elements is to use the float property:
Example
.right {
float: right;
width: 300px;
border: 3px solid #73AD21;
padding: 10px;
}
Try it Yourself »
Tip: When aligning elements with 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;
}
Try it Yourself »
Center Vertically - Using padding
There are many ways to center an element vertically in CSS. A simple solution is to use top and bottom padding:
Example
.center {
padding: 70px 0;
border: 3px solid green;
}
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To center both vertically and horizontally, use padding and text-align: center:
I am vertically and horizontally centered.
Example
.center {
padding: 70px 0;
border: 3px solid green;
text-align: center;
}
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Center Vertically - Using line-height
Another trick is to use the line-height property with a value that is equal to the height property.
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;
}
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Center Vertically - Using position & transform
If padding and line-height is not an option, a third solution is to use positioning and the transform property:
Example
.center {
height: 200px;
position: relative;
border: 3px solid green;
}
.center p {
margin: 0;
position: absolute;
top: 50%;
left: 50%;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
}
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Tip: You will learn more about the transform property in in our 2D Transforms Chapter.