CSS - Space between border and background color

Question

I need to create white space between the border and background color.

Example

Okay so, | = border, # = background color

Above example would be drawn like |#####| and I need | ##### |

How would I go about doing that?

Code I have for the example in the picture is (below)

CSS

.nav-justified > .active > a, .nav-justified > .active > a:hover, .nav-justified > active > a:focus {
        background-color: #F0F0F0;
        background-image: none;
        color: #8f1b1f;
        left: 0;
        width: 100%;
        margin-top: -17px;
        padding-bottom: 20px;
        padding-top: 20px;
        padding-right: 20px;
        padding-left: 20px;
}

.nav-justified > li > a {
    border-left: 1px solid #d5d5d5;
    line-height: 2px;
    }

HTML

<ul class="nav nav-justified" id="tableButtons">    
    <li class='active'><a href="#">Text here</a></li>
</ul>

Solution 1

UPDATE: Your scenario JSFIddle example.

You could use margin to show white background through. JSFiddle example here.

HTML:

<div class="outer"><div class="inner">Name And Address Details</div></div>

CSS

.outer { 
    display: inline-block; 
    border-left: 1px solid #d5d5d5; 
}
.outer .inner { 
    padding: 5px 10px; 
    background: #ddd; 
    margin-left: 1px; 
}

In your example li would be outer and a inner.

Solution 2

Set the border on the list element, background colour & padding on the anchor tag (not the list element), and then apply a margin to the anchor tag.

For example:

ul {
    list-style:none;
}

li {
  width:250px;
  text-align:center;
  border-left:1px solid #d5d5d5;
  border-right:1px solid #d5d5d5;
}

li a {
  color: #8f1b1f;
  background-color: #F0F0F0;
  text-decoration:none;
  padding:10px;
  display:block;
  margin:0 2px;
}

Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/RCwE6/2/

Solution 3

If you have background on that element, then, adding padding would be useless.

So, in this case, you can use background-clip: content-box; or outline-offset

Explanation: If you use wrapper, then it would be simple to separate the background from border. But if you want to style the same element, which has a background, no matter how much padding you would add, there would be no space between background and border, unless you use background-clip or outline-offset

Comments

[user3725340]

There is a lot of code to post, which bits would you need? In this example its just the contents of the li active class that needs work doing to it. EDIT: Added ul html code around it, does that help?

[Paulie_D]

I'm assuming the anchor is display:block?

[user3725340]

Yes, its display:block

[Paulie_D]

Then you will either have to use a gradient for the background color or limit the width of the anchor so that some background color of the li can show through.

[T J]

You need to put quotes (') around the class in html and dot (.) in front of class name in css.

[user3725340]

With a gradient can I achieve the | #### | effect? If I limit the width of anchor, it ruins the responsiveness of text, ie. screws up. width:95% is as low as I can go, which creates a space on the right hand side of the border.. as thats the next elements border if you get my drift?

[user3725340]

And the quotes and dots infront of class name is just me quickly writing it out.. it has dots and quotes on the actual piece of code.

[K K]

Why not give padding and border to li and background to the anchors? Will it solve your problem?

[user3725340]

Border is only on the left hand side

[MLeFevre]

@user3725340 Ah, looked like from your image that you wanted borders on the left and right. Still, you would need only to remove border-right:1px solid #d5d5d5;

[JungleZombie]

You can just edit the css out, and leave the border where needed. UPDATED the code

[user3725340]

Thank you, with a few minor adjustments, the method for my scenario worked.. that JSFiddle code, tweaked.

[user3725340]

Thanks for the detailed answer, there were a few tweaks that I had to make in order to achieve the effect still after applying the code you provided.. but thats down to my situation, and the rest of the code that I didn't show.. So thanks for the help :)