CSS border-spacing Property
Sets the distance between the borders of adjacent table cells
Syntax
border-spacing: <length> <length>?;Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | No spacing |
| <length> | Horizontal and vertical spacing |
| 2px 4px | Different horizontal and vertical spacing |
Example
table {
border-collapse: separate;
border-spacing: 0 8px;
}Understanding CSS border-spacing
The CSS border-spacing property sets the distance between the borders of adjacent table cells. As part of the Table module in CSS, it is one of the most commonly used properties for controlling the visual presentation of web pages.
You can set border-spacing to values such as 0, <length>, 2px 4px, among others. Each value changes how the browser renders the affected element, giving you fine-grained control over your page layout and design. Choosing the right value depends on the specific design requirements of your project.
Common use cases for the border-spacing property include responsive web design, component-based layouts, and creating visually consistent interfaces across devices. It works closely with related properties like border-collapse, border, table-layout to achieve complex styling effects. Understanding how these properties interact helps you write cleaner, more maintainable stylesheets.
Browser support for border-spacing is excellent across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. For older browsers, consider using fallback values or progressive enhancement strategies. The property can also be set dynamically via JavaScript using element.style.borderSpacing or the CSS custom properties (variables) approach for theming.
Related Properties
border-collapseSets whether table borders are collapsed into a single border or separated
borderShorthand for border-width, border-style, and border-color
table-layoutSets the algorithm used to lay out table cells, rows, and columns
gapSets the gutters between rows and columns in flex, grid, and multi-column layouts
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