repeating-linear-gradient()

The repeating-linear-gradient() CSS function creates an image consisting of repeating linear gradients. It is similar to linear-gradient() and takes the same arguments, but it repeats the color stops infinitely in all directions so as to cover its entire container. The function's result is an object of the <gradient> data type, which is a special kind of <image>.

/* A repeating gradient tilted 45 degrees,
   starting blue and finishing red */
repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, blue, red);

/* A repeating gradient going from the bottom right to the top left,
   starting blue and finishing red */
repeating-linear-gradient(to left top, blue, red);

/* A repeating gradient going from the bottom to top,
   starting blue, turning green after 40%,
   and finishing red */
repeating-linear-gradient(0deg, blue, green 40%, red);

With each repetition, the positions of the color stops are shifted by a multiple of the length of the basic linear gradient (the distance between the last color stop and the first). Thus, the position of each ending color stop coincides with a starting color stop; if the color values are different, this will result in a sharp visual transition.

As with any gradient, a repeating linear gradient has no intrinsic dimensions; i.e., it has no natural or preferred size, nor a preferred ratio. Its concrete size will match the size of the element it applies to.

Syntax

Values

<side-or-corner>

The position of the gradient line's starting point. If specified, it consists of the word to and up to two keywords: one indicates the horizontal side (left or right), and the other the vertical side (top or bottom). The order of the side keywords does not matter. If unspecified, it defaults to tobottom.

The values to top, to bottom, to left, and to right are equivalent to the angles 0deg, 180deg, 270deg, and 90deg respectively. The other values are translated into an angle.

<angle>

The gradient line's angle of direction. A value of 0deg is equivalent to to top; increasing values rotate clockwise from there.

<color-stop>

A color-stop's <color> value, followed by an optional stop position (either a <percentage> or a <length> along the gradient's axis).

Note: Rendering of color stops in CSS gradients follows the same rules as color stops in SVG gradients.

Formal syntax

repeating-linear-gradient(  [ <angle> | to <side-or-corner> ,]? <color-stop> [, <color-stop>]+ )
                            \---------------------------------/ \----------------------------/
                              Definition of the gradient line         List of color stops  

where <side-or-corner> = [left | right] || [top | bottom]
   and <color-stop>     = <color> [ <percentage> | <length> ]?

Examples

Zebra stripes

body {
  background-image: repeating-linear-gradient(-45deg,
      transparent,
      transparent 20px,
      black 20px,
      black 40px);
}

Repeating horizontal bars

body {
  background-image: repeating-linear-gradient(to bottom,
      rgb(26,198,204),
      rgb(26,198,204) 7%,
      rgb(100,100,100) 10%);
}

Specifications

Browser compatibility

[1] Internet Explorer 5.5 through 9.0 supports proprietary filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Gradient() filter.

[2] WebKit since 528 supports the legacy -webkit-gradient(linear,…) function. As of WebKit 534.16, it also supports the standard gradient syntax. Unlike in Gecko, in legacy WebKit you cannot specify both a position and angle in -webkit-linear-gradient(). You can achieve the same effect by offsetting the color stops.

[3] Gecko, Opera & Webkit considers <angle> to start to the right, instead of the top. I.e. it considered an angle of 0deg as a direction indicator pointing to the right. This is different from the latest specification where an angle of 0deg as a direction indicator points to the top. Since Firefox 42, the prefixed version of gradients can be disabled by setting layout.css.prefixes.gradients to false.

[4] Firefox 3.6 and Opera 11.10 implemented, prefixed, an early syntax where the starting corner or side was indicated without the to keyword, and effectively considered as a from position. The to syntax has been added in Firefox 10 and Opera 11.60 , at first without removing the deprecated syntax and translation between the two is trivial:

-moz-repeating-linear-gradient(to top left, blue, red);

is the same as:

-moz-repeating-linear-gradient(bottom right, blue, red);

The legacy syntax, without to, is planned to go away when the prefix is removed.

[5] Before Firefox 36, Gecko didn't apply gradient on the pre-multiplied color space, leading to shade of grey unexpectedly appearing when used with transparency.

[6] WebKit bug 1074056.

[7] In addition to the unprefixed support using the standard syntax, Gecko 44.0 (Firefox 44.0 / Thunderbird 44.0 / SeaMonkey 2.41) added support for a -webkit prefixed version of the function using the legacy 'from' syntax for web compatibility reasons behind the preference layout.css.prefixes.webkit, defaulting to false. Since Gecko 49.0 (Firefox 49.0 / Thunderbird 49.0 / SeaMonkey 2.46) the preference defaults to true.

[8] In -webkit-linear-gradient function (handled below), Gecko accept unitless 0 for angles, to match webkit/blink,See bug 1239153.

[9] See bug 1363292.

See also

• Using CSS gradients
• Other gradient functions: linear-gradient(), radial-gradient(), repeating-radial-gradient()