CSS Border Generator

Create custom borders with precise control over width, style, color, and radius

Controls

Adjust the settings to customize your CSS

Border Style

Border Width

2px

Border Radius

4px

Border Color

Live Preview

See your changes in real-time

Border Preview

Presets

Choose from pre-designed effects or start with a template

Presets

Generated Code

Copy the CSS or Tailwind classes to use in your project

border: 2px solid #9ca3af;
border-radius: 4px;

What are CSS Borders?

CSS borders are decorative lines that surround HTML elements, defining their boundaries and adding visual structure to web pages. Unlike outlines, borders are part of the element's box model and affect layout.

Essential for creating visual hierarchy, defining clickable areas, and improving the overall structure and usability of web interfaces.

Solid
Dashed
Dotted
Rounded

CSS Border Syntax

border: width style color;
/* Example */
border: 2px solid #3b82f6;

Width Properties

border-width

Overall thickness

border-top-width

Individual side control

Style Properties

border-style

Line appearance

solid, dashed, dotted

Style options

Radius Properties

border-radius

Corner rounding

individual corners

Precise corner control

Popular Use Cases

UI Components

Define buttons, form fields, and interactive element boundaries

Layout Structure

Create visual hierarchy and separate content sections

Visual Design

Add style and polish with decorative border effects

Accessibility

Improve focus indicators and element identification

Advanced Techniques

1 Individual Border Sides

Control each border side independently for asymmetric designs:

border-top: 4px solid #ef4444; /* Red top border */
border-right: 1px solid #e5e7eb; /* Light gray right */
border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e7eb; /* Light gray bottom */
border-left: 1px solid #e5e7eb; /* Light gray left */
Card Header

2 Custom Corner Radius

Create unique shapes with individual corner radius values:

border: 3px solid #3b82f6;
border-radius: 20px 5px 20px 5px; /* Alternating corners */
Custom Shape

Best Practices

Do This

  • Use consistent border widths throughout your design
  • Choose appropriate colors with sufficient contrast
  • Use border radius strategically for visual hierarchy
  • Test borders across different devices and screens

Avoid This

  • Overusing complex border styles in single designs
  • Animating border properties on performance-critical elements
  • Using borders that reduce accessibility or readability
  • Mixing too many border styles without purpose

Explore Related Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

? What's the difference between border and outline?

Border is part of the element's box model and affects layout, while outline is drawn outside the element and doesn't affect layout. Outline is typically used for focus indicators.

? How do I create borders that don't affect layout?

Use box-shadow with zero blur and spread values, or the outline property. Both techniques add visual borders without affecting the element's dimensions or position in the layout.

? Can I use gradients for borders?

Yes! Use the border-image property with gradients, or create a wrapper element with gradient background and an inner element with solid background color to achieve gradient border effects.

? What's the maximum useful border radius value?

Border radius values above 50% create the same circular effect as 50%. For most practical purposes, 50% is the maximum useful value, creating perfect circles or fully rounded rectangles.