Css – How to vertically align an image inside a div

cssimagevertical-alignment

How can you align an image inside of a containing div?

Example

In my example, I need to vertically center the <img> in the <div> with class ="frame":

<div class="frame" style="height: 25px;">
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" />
</div>

.frame's height is fixed and the image's height is unknown. I can add new elements in .frame if that's the only solution. I'm trying to do this on Internet Explorer 7 and later, WebKit, Gecko.

See the jsfiddle here.

.frame {
    height: 25px;      /* Equals maximum image height */
    line-height: 25px;
    width: 160px;
    border: 1px solid red;

    text-align: center;
    margin: 1em 0;
}
img {
    background: #3A6F9A;
    vertical-align: middle;
    max-height: 25px;
    max-width: 160px;
}

<div class=frame>
   <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=250 />
</div>
<div class=frame>
   <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=25 />
</div>
<div class=frame>
   <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=23 />
</div>
<div class=frame>
   <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=21 />
</div>
<div class=frame>
   <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=19 />
</div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=17 />
</div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=15 />
 </div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=13 />
 </div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=11 />
 </div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=9 />
 </div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=7 />
 </div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=5 />
 </div>
<div class=frame>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=3 />
 </div>

Best Answer

The only (and the best cross-browser) way as I know is to use an inline-block helper with height: 100% and vertical-align: middle on both elements.

So there is a solution: http://jsfiddle.net/kizu/4RPFa/4570/

.frame {
    height: 25px;      /* Equals maximum image height */
    width: 160px;
    border: 1px solid red;
    white-space: nowrap; /* This is required unless you put the helper span closely near the img */

    text-align: center;
    margin: 1em 0;
}

.helper {
    display: inline-block;
    height: 100%;
    vertical-align: middle;
}

img {
    background: #3A6F9A;
    vertical-align: middle;
    max-height: 25px;
    max-width: 160px;
}

<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=250px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=25px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=23px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=21px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=19px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=17px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=15px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=13px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=11px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=9px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=7px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=5px />
</div>
<div class="frame">
    <span class="helper"></span>
    <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=3px />
</div>

Or, if you don't want to have an extra element in modern browsers and don't mind using Internet Explorer expressions, you can use a pseudo-element and add it to Internet Explorer using a convenient Expression, that runs only once per element, so there won't be any performance issues:

The solution with :before and expression() for Internet Explorer: http://jsfiddle.net/kizu/4RPFa/4571/

.frame {
    height: 25px;      /* Equals maximum image height */
    width: 160px;
    border: 1px solid red;
    white-space: nowrap;

    text-align: center;
    margin: 1em 0;
}

.frame:before,
.frame_before {
    content: "";
    display: inline-block;
    height: 100%;
    vertical-align: middle;
}

img {
    background: #3A6F9A;
    vertical-align: middle;
    max-height: 25px;
    max-width: 160px;
}

/* Move this to conditional comments */
.frame {
    list-style:none;
    behavior: expression(
        function(t){
            t.insertAdjacentHTML('afterBegin','<span class="frame_before"></span>');
            t.runtimeStyle.behavior = 'none';
        }(this)
    );
}

<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=250px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=25px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=23px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=21px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=19px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=17px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=15px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=13px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=11px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=9px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=7px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=5px /></div>
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=3px /></div>

How it works:

When you have two inline-block elements near each other, you can align each to other's side, so with vertical-align: middle you'll get something like this:
When you have a block with fixed height (in px, em or another absolute unit), you can set the height of inner blocks in %.
So, adding one inline-block with height: 100% in a block with fixed height would align another inline-block element in it (<img/> in your case) vertically near it.

Related Solutions

Html – How to vertically align elements in a div

Wow, this problem is popular. It's based on a misunderstanding in the vertical-align property. This excellent article explains it:

Understanding vertical-align, or "How (Not) To Vertically Center Content" by Gavin Kistner.

“How to center in CSS” is a great web tool which helps to find the necessary CSS centering attributes for different situations.

In a nutshell _{^{(and to prevent link rot)}}:

Inline elements (and only inline elements) can be vertically aligned in their context via vertical-align: middle. However, the “context” isn’t the whole parent container height, it’s the height of the text line they’re in. jsfiddle example
For block elements, vertical alignment is harder and strongly depends on the specific situation:
- If the inner element can have a fixed height, you can make its position absolute and specify its height, margin-top and top position. jsfiddle example
- If the centered element consists of a single line and its parent height is fixed you can simply set the container’s line-height to fill its height. This method is quite versatile in my experience. jsfiddle example
- … there are more such special cases.

Html – How to horizontally center an element

You can apply this CSS to the inner <div>:

#inner {
  width: 50%;
  margin: 0 auto;
}

Of course, you don't have to set the width to 50%. Any width less than the containing <div> will work. The margin: 0 auto is what does the actual centering.

If you are targeting Internet Explorer 8 (and later), it might be better to have this instead:

#inner {
  display: table;
  margin: 0 auto;
}

It will make the inner element center horizontally and it works without setting a specific width.

Working example here:

#inner {
  display: table;
  margin: 0 auto;
  border: 1px solid black;
}

#outer {
  border: 1px solid red;
  width:100%
}

<div id="outer">
  <div id="inner">Foo foo</div>
</div>

EDIT

With flexbox it is very easy to style the div horizontally and vertically centered.

#inner {  
  border: 1px solid black;
}

#outer {
  border: 1px solid red;
  width:100%;
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
}

<div id="outer">
  <div id="inner">Foo foo</div>
</div>

To align the div vertically centered, use the property align-items: center.