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CSS CSS Basics (2014) Basic Layout Backgrounds: Size and Position

Stephen Bolton
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Stephen Bolton
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 7,933 Points

isn't background-size: cover; the same as background-size: 100%;

just wondering because to my eye when I try both values it looks the same and to me background-size: 100% makes more sense.

Gabriel Ward
Gabriel Ward
20,222 Points

Hi Stephen,

I think background-size: cover will fill the entire background area by zooming in, so that the photo keeps its proportions, which means some of the image may be cut off.

background-size: 100% will fill the background area by using the whole image. So the width will be 100% but the height will be altered so that the proportions change.

That's how they work as far as I understand it.

Hope that helps.

1 Answer

See an example I created: http://codepen.io/netmagik/pen/vEvjaG

background-size: 100%;

The image will fill entire width of the parent container, but not height. Aspect ratio will stay the same

background-size: cover;

It will zoom in to fill the parent container. Some of the image will be cut off

background-size: 100% 100%;

The image will fill entire width and height of the parent container, but it's aspect ratio will be destroyed