Stretch and scale a CSS image in the background - with CSS only

Asked 19/7, 2009 at 15:51 Answered 25/3, 2020 at 21:7

936

I want that my background image stretch and scale depending on the browser viewport size.

I've seen some questions on Stack Overflow that do the job, like Stretch and scale CSS background for example. It works well, but I want to place the image using background, not with an img tag.

In that one an img tag is placed, and then with CSS we tribute to the img tag.

width:100%; height:100%;

It works, but that question is a bit old, and states that in CSS 3 resizing a background image will work pretty well. I've tried this example the first one, but it didn't work out for me.

Is there a good method to do it with the background-image declaration?

Franks answered 19/7, 2009 at 15:51 Comment(4)

background-size: 100% 100%; – Hyozo 30/8, 2014 at 11:41

Maybe this demo can be helpful: w3schools.com/cssref/… – Tormentor 7/1, 2015 at 18:48

Possible duplicate of CSS background image to fit width, height should auto-scale in proportion – Pneumogastric 1/3, 2016 at 0:57

You should clarify whether you want the aspect ratio to change to scale or just scale on either height or width and let the other dimension maintain that aspect ratio. – Extrabold 26/1, 2020 at 21:56

1148

CSS3 has a nice little attribute called background-size:cover.

This scales the image so that the background area is completely covered by the background image while maintaining the aspect ratio. The entire area will be covered. However, part of the image may not be visible if the width/height of the resized image is too large.

Vlissingen answered 10/9, 2011 at 14:28 Comment(7)

Cover crops the image if the aspect ratio doesn't match, so it's not a good general solution. – Infamous 21/6, 2013 at 14:47

in case you you want it to work in IE browsers - github.com/louisremi/background-size-polyfill – Ambary 26/8, 2014 at 2:20

It doesn't seem to work on Firefox. However, background-size: 100vw 100vh;does the trick nicely. – Kadner 28/1, 2018 at 10:2

@YannickMauray try:

background-size: cover;   -ms-background-size: cover;   -o-background-size: cover;   -moz-background-size: cover;   -webkit-background-size: cover;

– Dossier 13/2, 2018 at 13:5

If you want this, but only for the horizontal axis, use this: background-size: 100% auto; #41026130 – Desdamonna 19/4, 2018 at 17:42

Aside of using background-size:cover... Don't forget to use services like ImageBoss to generate your images responsively. It would reduce your load time/page speed considerably. – Borras 24/5, 2018 at 21:38

As you mentioned the my image is getting cropped when i use background-size: cover, what would you suggest I do? – Tanaka 13/7, 2020 at 12:39

476

You could use the CSS3 property to do it quite nicely. It resizes to ratio so no image distortion (although it does upscale small images). Just note, it's not implemented in all browsers yet.

background-size: 100%;

Pardoner answered 28/2, 2011 at 0:44 Comment(4)

@nXqd That pretty much is the full code! Create a container with a background-image and include the property above. As mentioned, browser support is not good yet and there are browser specific versions of this ie. -webkit-background-size etc. See W3C CSS3 Module: background-size and css3.info: background-size – Viscountcy 20/6, 2011 at 7:28

To preserve the aspect ratio of the image you should use "background-size: cover;" or "background-size: contain;". I've built a polyfill that implements those values in IE8: github.com/louisremi/background-size-polyfill – Barracks 5/12, 2012 at 9:56

It's also advisable to add auto to preserve aspect ratio. – Scrouge 9/12, 2012 at 12:53

For those like me wondering why this didn't work for their svg file, add this attribute to the outermost svg tag: preserveAspectRatio="none" – Alvaroalveolar 19/10, 2022 at 19:9

194

Using the code I mentioned...

HTML

<div id="background">
    <img src="img.jpg" class="stretch" alt="" />
</div>

CSS

#background {
    width: 100%; 
    height: 100%; 
    position: fixed; 
    left: 0px; 
    top: 0px; 
    z-index: -1; /* Ensure div tag stays behind content; -999 might work, too. */
}

.stretch {
    width:100%;
    height:100%;
}

That produces the desired effect: only the content will scroll, not the background.

The background image resizes to the browser viewport for any screen size. When the content doesn't fit the browser viewport, and the user needs to scroll the page, the background image remains fixed in the viewport while the content scrolls.

With CSS 3 it seems this would be a lot easier.

Franks answered 30/7, 2009 at 18:21 Comment(5)

But this is not background image. You can only do this to a block, but not a inline element such as a input[type=text]. Or am I wrong? – Crysta 7/12, 2011 at 7:9

no need for the class="stretch", just use #background img {} as identifier in the css – Array 24/8, 2012 at 8:4

z-index: -1; keeps your image in the background. If you desire to show your image in the foreground, you can either increase the z-index value or remove that index. – Techy 7/10, 2013 at 16:9

The issue I am having is with IE8. The background image of a DIV stretches full but in IE8 the images goes outside the DIV hence not being able to see the full image. It gets cropped out. Here is my question: #22331679 – Marsipobranch 11/3, 2014 at 17:25

The obvious mistake people do is to put the background image in the css (ie by background : url("example.png");) and then use the css attribute background-size:100%; beneath it to hopefully scale the image to screen width. This will not work, Will it? If you wish to put a background image for the body then an image attribute should be added to the body tag like <body background="example.png">. Then use css background-size:100%; to scale it. – Statuesque 7/1, 2015 at 8:52

172

CSS:

html,body {
    background: url(images/bg.jpg) no-repeat center center fixed;
    -webkit-background-size: cover; /* For WebKit*/
    -moz-background-size: cover;    /* Mozilla*/
    -o-background-size: cover;      /* Opera*/
    background-size: cover;         /* Generic*/
}

Tarpeia answered 23/3, 2012 at 19:58 Comment(1)

However, this doesn't work in IE8. It creates a margin on the top and bottom of the window. – Preconscious 16/2, 2014 at 12:39

background-size: 100% 100%;

stretches the background to fill the entire element on both axes.

Variance answered 26/1, 2016 at 18:34 Comment(0)

The following CSS part should stretch the image with all browsers.

I do this dynamically for each page. Therefore I use PHP to generate its own HTML tag for each page. All the pictures are in the 'image' folder and end with 'Bg.jpg'.

<html style="
      background: url(images/'.$pic.'Bg.jpg) no-repeat center center fixed;
      -webkit-background-size: cover;
      -moz-background-size: cover;
      -o-background-size: cover;
      background-size: cover;
      filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src=\'images/'.$pic.'Bg.jpg\',     sizingMethod=\'scale\');
      -ms-filter: \"progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src=\'images/'.$pic.'Bg.jpg\', sizingMethod=\'scale\')\
";>

If you have only one background picture for all pages then you may remove the $pic variable, remove escaping back-slashes, adjust paths and place this code in your CSS file.

html{
    background: url(images/homeBg.jpg) no-repeat center center fixed;
    -webkit-background-size: cover;
    -moz-background-size: cover;
    -o-background-size: cover;
    background-size: cover;
    filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='images/homeBg.jpg',     sizingMethod='scale');
    -ms-filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='images/homeBg', sizingMethod='scale');
}

This was tested with Internet Explorer 9, Chrome 21, and Firefox 14.

Hupp answered 6/8, 2012 at 13:41 Comment(1)

Your example doesn't work in sense of backwards compatibility, because you simply forgot about the leading '-' of vendor prefixes. It must be -webkit-background-size, -moz-background-size and so on. See developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/CSS/… Or you go for including it future-proof in shorthand property like background: url(img/bg-home.jpg) no-repeat center center / cover fixed; – Dufy 8/5, 2013 at 4:26

Use this CSS:

background: url('img.png') no-repeat; 
background-size: 100%;

Garrow answered 9/5, 2011 at 9:41 Comment(0)

You can actually achieve the same effect as a background image with the img tag. You just have to set its z-index lower than everything else, set position:absolute and use a transparent background for every box in the foreground.

Nariko answered 19/7, 2009 at 17:14 Comment(4)

Thats what i saw in others SO questions, and works, but since CSS3 as come out, i thought that now was a better way to to it. – Lied 19/7, 2009 at 19:7

There might be and taking into account developments in browser usage, you might be able to use them commercially in only...10 year? – Nariko 20/7, 2009 at 3:48

Being CSS3, there is nothing wrong with using a property that the most modern browsers see and giving a minimum standard to unsupported browsers. Here, for example, you might be able to use a boring but acceptable tiled background for <IE8 and a lovely picture for Firefox/Chrome/Safari/Opera. Also, there are many polyfills to replicate CSS3 functionality in older browsers with JavaScript. In other words, you don't need to wait for every browser to support CSS3 in order to use it. – Ous 10/5, 2011 at 2:6

Just found this other post which references the use of the proprietary MS AlphaImageLoader: #2992123 – Volteface 28/9, 2011 at 19:31

You can add this class into your CSS file.

.stretch {
    background: url(images/bg.jpg) no-repeat center center fixed;
    -webkit-background-size: cover;
    -moz-background-size: cover;
    -o-background-size: cover;
    background-size: cover;
}

It works in:

Safari 3 or later
Chrome Whatever or later
Internet Explorer 9 or later
Opera 10 or later (Opera 9.5 supported background-size, but not the keywords)
Firefox 3.6 or later (Firefox 4 supports non-vendor prefixed version)

Meletius answered 17/4, 2015 at 7:57 Comment(1)

This is a working "stretch to fit" answer. Note: aspect ratio will change. – Leelah 17/9, 2017 at 19:27

It is explained by CSS tricks: Perfect Full Page Background Image

Demo: https://css-tricks.com/examples/FullPageBackgroundImage/progressive.php

Code:

body {
  background: url(images/myBackground.jpg) no-repeat center center fixed;
  -webkit-background-size: cover;
  -moz-background-size: cover;
  -o-background-size: cover;
  background-size: cover;
}

Terris answered 28/7, 2017 at 6:29 Comment(1)

based on above answer, I have seen background attachment fix does not work on mobile devices and microsoft edge. The perfect solution to make background stretch and fix on all devices and browsers I recommend jquery-backstretch.com – Terris 2/11, 2018 at 8:47

In order to scale your images appropriately based on the container size, use the following:

background-size: contain;
background-repeat: no-repeat;

Influenza answered 7/1, 2017 at 18:52 Comment(0)

I use this, and it works with all browsers:

<html>
    <head>
        <title>Stretched Background Image</title>
        <style type="text/css">
            /* Remove margins from the 'html' and 'body' tags, and ensure the page takes up full screen height. */
            html, body {height:100%; margin:0; padding:0;}

            /* Set the position and dimensions of the background image. */
            #page-background {position:fixed; top:0; left:0; width:100%; height:100%;}

            /* Specify the position and layering for the content that needs to appear in front of the background image. Must have a higher z-index value than the background image. Also add some padding to compensate for removing the margin from the 'html' and 'body' tags. */
            #content {position:relative; z-index:1; padding:10px;}
        </style>
        <!-- The above code doesn't work in Internet Explorer 6. To address this, we use a conditional comment to specify an alternative style sheet for IE 6. -->
        <!--[if IE 6]>
        <style type="text/css">
            html {overflow-y:hidden;}
            body {overflow-y:auto;}
            #page-background {position:absolute; z-index:-1;}
            #content {position:static;padding:10px;}
        </style>
        <![endif]-->
    </head>
    <body>
        <div id="page-background"><img src="http://www.quackit.com/pix/milford_sound/milford_sound.jpg" width="100%" height="100%" alt="Smile"></div>
        <div id="content">
            <h2>Stretch that Background Image!</h2>
            <p>This text appears in front of the background image. This is because we've used CSS to layer the content in front of the background image. The background image will stretch to fit your browser window. You can see the image grow and shrink as you resize your browser.</p>
            <p>Go on, try it - resize your browser!</p>
        </div>
    </body>
</html>

Fivepenny answered 2/5, 2012 at 14:39 Comment(0)

Thanks!

But then it was not working for the Google Chrome and Safari browsers (stretching worked, but the hight of the pictures was only 2 mm!), until someone told me what lacks:

Try to set height:auto;min-height:100%;

So change that for your height:100%; line, gives:

#### #background {
    width: 100%; 
    height: 100%; 
    position: fixed; 
    left: 0px; 
    top: 0px; 
    z-index: -1;
}

.stretch {
    width:100%;
    height:auto;
    min-height:100%;
}

Just before that newly added code I have this in my Drupal Tendu themes style.css:

html, body{height:100%;}
#page{background:#ffffff; height:auto !important;height:100%;min-height:100%;position:relative;}

Then I have to make a new block within Drupal with the picture while adding class=stretch:

< img alt="" class="stretch" src="pic.url" />

Just copying a picture with the editor in that Drupal block doesn't work; one has to change the editor to non-formatted text.

Heterochromous answered 4/4, 2010 at 16:47 Comment(0)

I wanted to center and scale a background image, without stretching it to the entire page, and I wanted the aspect ratio to be maintained. This worked for me, thanks to the variations suggested in other answers:

INLINE IMAGE: ------------------------

<div id="background">
    <img src="img.jpg" class="stretch" alt="" />
</div>

CSS ----------------------------------

html {
    height:100%;
}

#background {
    text-align: center;
    width: 100%; 
    height: 100%; 
    position: fixed;
    left: 0px; 
    top: 0px; 
    z-index: -1;
}

.stretch {
    margin: auto;
    height:100%;
}

Pithecanthropus answered 24/12, 2010 at 13:5 Comment(0)

I agree with the image in absolute div with 100% width and height. Make sure you set 100% width and height for the body in the CSS and set margins and padding to zero. Another issue you will find with this method is that when selecting text, the selection area can sometimes encompass the background image, which has the unfortunate effect of making the full page have the selected state. You can get round this by using the user-select:none CSS rule, like so:

<html>
    <head>
        <style type="text/css">

            html,body {
                height: 100%;
                width: 100%
                margin: none;
                padding: none;
            }

            #background {
                width: 100%;
                height: 100%;
                position: fixed;
                left: 0px;
                top: 0px;
                z-index: -99999;
                -webkit-user-select: none;
                -khtml-user-select: none;
                -moz-user-select: none;
                -o-user-select: none;
                user-select: none;
            }

            #background img {
                width: 100%;
                height: 100%;
            }

            #main{ z-index:10;}
        </style>
    </head>
    <body>
        <div id="main">
            content here
        </div>
        <div id="background"><img src="bg.jpg"></div>
    </body>
</html>

Again, Internet Explorer is the bad guy here, because it doesn't recognise the user-select option - not even Internet Explorer 10 preview supports it, so you have the option of either using JavaScript to prevent background image selection (for example, http://www.felgall.com/jstip35.htm ) or using CSS 3 background-stretch method.

Also, for SEO I would put the background image at the bottom of the page, but if the background image takes too long to load (that is, with a white background initially), you could move to the top of the page.

Lebbie answered 6/7, 2011 at 10:38 Comment(1)

then dont use img just a div with bg it shouldnt get selected – Overpass 18/10, 2013 at 15:4

I used a combination of the background-X CSS properties to achieve the ideal scaling background image.

background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
background-attachment: fixed;

This makes the background always cover the entire browser window and remains centered when scaling.

Suggest answered 12/11, 2018 at 4:2 Comment(0)

The following worked for me.

.back-ground {
   background-image: url("../assets/background.png");
   background-size: 100vw 100vh;
}

that worked to cover the entire background on different dimensions

Audra answered 25/3, 2020 at 21:7 Comment(1)

how old a version are we talking about here? As well I believe that IE has been discontinued. – Audra 27/5, 2021 at 13:40

Use the Backstretch plugin. One could even have several images slide. It also works within containers. This way for example one could have only a portion of the background been covered with an background image.

Since even I could get it to work proves it to be an easy to use plugin :).

Companionate answered 9/9, 2013 at 23:49 Comment(0)

If you want to have the content centered horizontally, use a combination like this:

background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-size: cover;
background-position: center;

This will look beautiful.

Passably answered 29/1, 2019 at 22:12 Comment(0)

You can use the border-image : yourimage property to scale the image up to the border. Even if you give the background-image, the border image will be drawn over it.

The border-image property is very useful if your style sheet is implemented somewhere which doesn't support CSS 3. If you are using Google Chrome or Firefox, then I recommend the background-size:cover property itself.

Gillie answered 2/7, 2017 at 13:51 Comment(0)

Use this CSS:

background-size: 100% 100%

Eddings answered 19/11, 2018 at 12:29 Comment(1)

Downwoted, this is a duplicate of previous answer https://mcmap.net/q/53372/-stretch-and-scale-a-css-image-in-the-background-with-css-only – Birk 17/4, 2019 at 16:1

Do you want to achieve this just using one image? Because you can actually make somewhat similar to a stretching background using two images. PNG images for instance.

I've done this before, and it's not that hard. Besides, I think stretching would just harm the quality of the background. And if you add a huge image it would slow down slow computers and browsers.

Multiplex answered 19/7, 2009 at 16:8 Comment(3)

Good point. But i'm using jpg for the background image, shes is about 1500x1000 only takes little more than 100kb. But how did you do it? – Lied 19/7, 2009 at 16:13

How about centering the image horizontally and soften the image edges with a solid color or a pattern? This would allow you to have a seamless adaptation if the user has more than the image resolution. – Multiplex 19/7, 2009 at 16:28

But i want that the image fills the background. The one your saying, thats what i usually do. – Lied 19/7, 2009 at 19:5

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