outline-style

The outline-style CSS property sets the style of an element's outline. An outline is a line that is drawn around an element, outside the border.

It is often more convenient to use the shorthand property outline when defining the appearance of an outline.

/* Keyword values */
outline-style: auto;
outline-style: none;
outline-style: dotted;
outline-style: dashed;
outline-style: solid;
outline-style: double;
outline-style: groove;
outline-style: ridge;
outline-style: inset;
outline-style: outset;

/* Global values */
outline-style: inherit;
outline-style: initial;
outline-style: unset;

Syntax

The outline-style property is specified as any one of the values listed below.

Values

none

No outline is used. The outline-width is 0.

dotted

The outline is a series of dots.

dashed

The outline is a series of short line segments.

solid

The outline is a single line.

double

The outline is two single lines. The outline-width is the sum of the two lines and the space between them.

groove

The outline looks as though it were carved into the page.

ridge

The opposite of groove: the outline looks as though it were extruded from the page.

inset

The outline makes the box look as though it were embedded in the page.

outset

The opposite of inset: the outline makes the box look as though it were coming out of the page.

Formal syntax

auto | <br-style>
where 
<br-style> = none | hidden | dotted | dashed | solid | double | groove | ridge | inset | outset

Example 1 - dotted and dashed

HTML

<div>
  <div class="dotted">
    <p class="dashed">Outline Demo</p>
  </div>
</div> 

CSS

.dotted {
  outline-style: dotted; /* same result as "outline: dotted" */
}
.dashed {
  outline-style: dashed;
}

/* To make the Demo clearer */ 
* { outline-width: 10px; padding: 15px; } 

Example 2 - solid and double

HTML

<div>
  <div class="solid">
    <p class="double">Outline Demo</p>
  </div>
</div> 

CSS

.solid {
  outline-style: solid;
}
.double {
  outline-style: double;
}

/* To make the Demo clearer */ 
* { outline-width: 10px; padding: 15px; } 

Example 3 - groove and ridge

HTML

<div>
  <div class="groove">
    <p class="ridge">Outline Demo</p>
  </div>
</div>

CSS

.groove {
  outline-style: groove;
}
.ridge {
  outline-style: ridge;
}

/* To make the Demo clearer */ 
* { outline-width: 10px; padding: 15px; }

Example 4 - inset and outset

HTML

<div>
  <div class="inset">
    <p class="outset">Outline Demo</p>
  </div>
</div>

CSS

.inset {
  outline-style: inset;
}
.outset {
  outline-style: outset;
}

/* To make the Demo clearer */ 
* { outline-width: 10px; padding: 15px; }

Specifications

Browser compatibility

[1] In browsers prior to Gecko 1.8 (Firefox 1.5) this effect can be achieved using Mozilla CSS Extension -moz-outline-style.