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CSS Background Image Tutorial

Learn how to use CSS background-image with examples, properties, and best practices to design stunning website layouts.
Mr.Shiva
CSS Background Image Tutorial

A concise guide to using background-image, layering, gradients, and best practices.

What is background-image?

The background-image property sets one or more background images on an element. It's commonly used for hero sections, patterns, and full-page backgrounds without extra markup.

selector {
  background-image: url("image.jpg");
}

Applying a Background Image

You can apply background images to any block-level element — typically <body>, <section> or <div>.

body {
  background-image: url("background.jpg");
}

Common Background Properties

Control how the image appears using related properties:

  • background-repeat — repeat, no-repeat, repeat-x, repeat-y
  • background-size — auto, cover, contain, or explicit sizes
  • background-position — center, top, left etc.
  • background-attachment — scroll, fixed, local
.hero-section {
  background-image: url("hero-banner.jpg");
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  background-size: cover;
  background-position: center;
  background-attachment: fixed;
}

Multiple Background Images

CSS allows multiple, comma-separated background layers — the first image is top-most.

.container {
  background-image: url("pattern.png"), url("main-bg.jpg");
  background-position: top left, center;
  background-repeat: repeat, no-repeat;
  background-size: auto, cover;
}

Gradient as a Background Image

Gradients are images too — useful for overlays and color transitions without extra assets.

.gradient-bg {
  background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #ff7e5f, #feb47b);
}

Best Practices

Performance tip: use optimized formats (WebP when possible), set sensible dimensions, and prefer CSS gradients for simple color transitions.
  • Optimize images (compression, WebP) to speed up page loads.
  • Use background-size: cover for responsive full-width backgrounds.
  • Combine gradients with images for depth and contrast.
  • Always include a fallback background-color for slow connections or missing images.

Full-Page Background Example

body {
  background: url("nature.jpg") no-repeat center center fixed;
  background-size: cover;
}

Conclusion

The background-image property is a simple but powerful tool. Mastering its companion properties (background-size, background-position, background-repeat, and gradients) helps you create modern, responsive designs with minimal markup.

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