translateZ()

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since March 2022.

The translateZ() CSS function repositions an element along the z-axis in 3D space, i.e., closer to or farther away from the viewer. Its result is a <transform-function> data type.

Try it

This transformation is defined by a <length> which specifies how far inward or outward the element or elements move.

In the above interactive examples, perspective: 550px; (to create a 3D space) and transform-style: preserve-3d; (so the children, the 6 sides of the cube, are also positioned in the 3D space), have been set on the cube.

Note: translateZ(tz) is equivalent to translate3d(0, 0, tz).

Syntax

css
translateZ(tz)

Values

tz

A <length> representing the z-component of the translating vector [0, 0, tz]. In Cartesian coordinate system it represents shift along z-axis. A positive value moves the element towards the viewer, and a negative value farther away.

Cartesian coordinates on ℝ^2 Homogeneous coordinates on ℝℙ^2 Cartesian coordinates on ℝ^3 Homogeneous coordinates on ℝℙ^3
This transformation applies to the 3D space and can't be represented on the plane. A translation is not a linear transformation in ℝ^3 and can't be represented using a Cartesian-coordinate matrix.
(10000100001t0001)\left( \begin{array}{cccc} 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & t \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \end{array} \right)

Formal syntax

<translateZ()> = 
  translateZ( <length> )

Examples

In this example, two boxes are created. One is positioned normally on the page, without being translated at all. The second is altered by applying perspective to create a 3D space, then moved towards the user.

HTML

html
<div>Static</div>
<div class="moved">Moved</div>

CSS

css
div {
  position: relative;
  width: 60px;
  height: 60px;
  left: 100px;
  background-color: skyblue;
}

.moved {
  transform: perspective(500px) translateZ(200px);
  background-color: pink;
}

What really matters here is the class "moved"; let's take a look at what it does. First, the perspective() function positions the viewer relative to the plane that lies where z=0 (in essence, the surface of the screen). A value of 500px means the user is 500 pixels "in front of" the imagery located at z=0.

Then, the translateZ() function moves the element 200 pixels "outward" from the screen, toward the user. This has the effect of making the element appear larger when viewed on a 2D display, or closer when viewed using a VR headset or other 3D display device.

Note if the perspective() value is less than the translateZ() value, such as transform: perspective(200px) translateZ(300px); the transformed element will not be visible as it is further than the user's viewport. The smaller the difference between the perspective and translateZ values, the closer the user is to the element and the larger the translated element will seem.

Note: As the composition of transforms isn't commutative, the order you write the different functions is significant. In particular, in general, you want perspective() to be placed before translateZ().

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Transforms Module Level 2
# funcdef-translatez

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also