In CSS, you can apply both a background color and a background image to an element to create interesting visual effects. This allows you to have a solid background color with an image overlaid on top of it. There are a few different ways to go about combining a background color and image, depending on the desired effect.
When combining background colors and images, it’s important to understand how the CSS rendering order works. The background color is rendered first, then the background image renders on top of that. This means that the background color will show through any transparent or semi-transparent areas of the background image.
In this article, we’ll cover the various methods of combining background colors and images in CSS, including:
- Applying a background color and image separately
- Using the background shorthand property
- Layering multiple background images
- Creating transparency in background images to reveal the color
- Background image tiling and positioning
- Background attachment
- Gradients over images
Let’s look at each of these techniques in more detail.
Applying Background Color and Image Separately
The most straightforward way to combine a background color and image is to simply set the background-color and background-image properties independently:
“`css
.element {
background-color: #ffffff;
background-image: url(“image.jpg”);
}
“`
This applies the white background color first, then overlays the image on top. The color will show through any transparent areas of the image.
You can use RGB, HEX, HSL, or any valid CSS color value for the background-color. For the image, you can use an absolute or relative URL path, or a gradient.
Some key points of this method:
- Background color renders first, image second
- Image displays on top of color
- Color shows through transparent parts of image
- No need for workarounds to show color under image
- Easy to understand
The downside is that it requires setting two separate properties. So let’s look at a shorthand option.
Using the background Shorthand
Instead of declaring the background-color and background-image separately, you can combine them in the background shorthand property:
“`css
.element {
background: #ffffff url(“image.jpg”);
}
“`
The background property value accepts a background color first, then a background image. This achieves the same effect as setting two separate properties.
Our background shorthand example is equivalent to:
“`css
.element {
background-color: #ffffff;
background-image: url(“image.jpg”);
}
“`
The advantages of using the background shorthand are:
- More concise syntax
- Can set background-position, background-size, etc. as well
- Single property to update
The end result looks the same as applying the properties separately. The background color shows through transparent and semi-transparent areas of the image.
Layering Multiple Background Images
CSS allows you to specify multiple background images on a single element, separated by commas:
“`css
.element {
background: url(“image1.jpg”), url(“image2.jpg”);
}
“`
The images layer on top of each other in the order they are listed. The first image renders first, then the next image renders on top, and so on.
We can use this to place a background color in between two images:
“`css
.element {
background:
url(“image1.jpg”),
#ffffff,
url(“image2.png”);
}
“`
This layers image1.jpg first, then the white background color, and image2.png last. The color shows through any transparent areas of the top image.
The key points of layering backgrounds:
- Images and colors render in order listed
- Can layer multiple images and solid colors
- Need to explicitly define a color to separate images
One issue with this approach is that you need to have a background color defined in between the images to separate them. If you just listed two image URLs back to back, they would composite together rather than layer.
Creating Transparency in Images
When combining background images and colors, you can reveal the background color by making parts of the image transparent. This allows the color to show through only where you want it to.
There are a couple ways to create transparency in an image:
-
PNG Image Format
PNG images support transparency using an alpha channel. You can make pixels partially or fully transparent to allow the background to show through.
-
CSS Opacity
You can apply opacity to an image to make it semi-transparent with the opacity property:
“`css
.element {
background-image: url(“image.png”);
opacity: 0.5;
}
“`This makes the entire image 50% transparent to reveal the background.
Areas of the image that are transparent or semi-transparent will allow the background color to show through. This allows you to fade the image to gradually reveal the color underneath.
Background Image Tiling and Positioning
There are several other background properties that come into play when using background images:
- background-repeat – Sets if/how image tiles horizontally and vertically
- background-position – Positions image within element
- background-size – Resizes image dimensions
- background-attachment – Sets if image scrolls with content
For example, you can tile a small ornamental image across a div while keeping a background color:
“`css
.element {
background: #ffffff url(“ornament.png”) repeat;
}
“`
This tiles the ornament.png image across the div to create a pattern, while the white background color shows through the transparent parts of the image.
You can play around with different values for background-repeat, background-position, and background-size to achieve different effects with a tiled image over a solid color.
Background Attachment
Another useful property is background-attachment, which controls if the image scrolls along with the content or is fixed in the viewport:
“`css
.element {
background: #ffffff url(“image.jpg”) fixed;
}
“`
Using background-attachment: fixed pins the image in place, so it doesn’t move as you scroll. This allows you to parallax the image over the scrolled content.
Having a background color behind a fixed image creates an interesting effect as you scroll. The foreground image stays locked in place over the content, while the background color continues to fill the rest of the element.
Gradients Over Images
CSS gradients can also be used as background images. This allows you to overlay a gradient over a background image to create a fade effect.
For example:
“`css
.element {
background:
linear-gradient(rgba(0,0,0,0.5), rgba(0,0,0,0.5)),
url(“image.jpg”);
}
“`
This applies a transparent black gradient overtop of the image, darkening it. The gradient transitions smoothly from the image into the background color beneath it.
Gradients can also be used under an image to gracefully fade into a background color, like this:
“`css
.element {
background:
linear-gradient(#ffffff, #dddddd),
url(“image.png”);
}
“`
The gradient starts white at the top, transitioning to light gray at the bottom, and sits underneath the foreground image.
This technique works well when you want the image to blend into a background color gradually while scrolling.
Browser Support
The methods discussed in this article are supported in all modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. Some key points:
- Internet Explorer 9 and above supports all background properties
- Multiple background images supported in IE9+
- CSS gradients supported in IE10+
- Transparency in PNGs supported in all major browsers
Always check CanIUse.com for the most up-to-date browser compatibility data.
Image Optimization
When using background images, it’s important to optimize them for performance:
- Use JPEG format for photos, PNG for images with transparency
- Compress images to reduce file size
- Resize images to proper dimensions so they don’t get scaled
- Use CSS sprites to consolidate images
- Lazy load offscreen images for faster page load
Optimized images load faster and reduce bandwidth usage. This improves page load time and provides a better user experience.
Accessibility Considerations
When setting visual styles like background images using CSS, be mindful of accessibility:
- Don’t convey meaning through color or images alone
- Ensure proper contrast ratios for readability
- Provide ALT text for images that convey meaning
- Allow users to customize colors and styles if possible
Users with visual impairments may not perceive colors or images the same way. Ensure information is presented in a meaningful way without relying solely on visuals.
Use Cases
Some examples of using background colors and images together in designs:
- A textured paper background color with an overlaid graphic header
- A painted canvas texture with icons and design elements on top
- A solid striped backdrop with photos in frames on top of it
- A simple white background behind a watermarked hero image
- A metallic gradient that fades into a solid color beneath page content
The combinations are endless! Use these techniques to create interesting and engaging visuals.
Tutorials and Samples
Here are some tutorials for reference, as well as CodePen samples to explore:
Text Guides
Video Tutorials
CodePen Samples
CSS Patterns and Generators
There are many online tools and generators for producing CSS background patterns quickly:
- Patternify – Gradients, shapes and seamless patterns
- Cool Backgrounds – Curated gradient backgrounds
- SVG Backgrounds – Customizable SVG image backgrounds
- BgJar – Background image search engine
For example, Patternify lets you adjust dots, waves, stripes, circles, and more on top of background colors and gradients to generate dynamic effects.
These tools help speed up web design and development workflows when it comes to backgrounds.
CSS Frameworks
CSS frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, Materialize and Bulma also have utilities for applying backgrounds:
- Bootstrap background, bg-image, and bg-overlay classes
- Foundation background-color, background-image, background-size classes
- Materialize background-color, background-repeat classes
- Bulma hasbackground-color, background-image, and background-size helpers
These frameworks make it easy to add backgrounds with just a class name. For example:
“`html
“`
This applies a primary gradient background that covers the element using Bootstrap classes.
Conclusion
There are many creative possibilities when combining background colors, images, and gradients in CSS. The key is understanding how to layer and position elements using native CSS background properties.
Optimization and accessibility are also important considerations when adding background visuals. Follow best practices and your backgrounds should look great across all devices and assistive technologies.
For more inspiration, check out CodePen for cool background effects using HTML and CSS. There are endless ways to spice up website and app interfaces with colors, textures, animations and more!
