element()

The element() CSS function defines an <image> value generated from an arbitrary HTML element. This image is live, meaning that if the HTML element is changed, the CSS properties using the resulting value are automatically updated.

A particularly useful scenario for using this would be to render an image in an HTML <canvas> element, then use that as a background.

On Gecko browsers, you can use the non-standard document.mozSetImageElement() method to change the element being used as the background for a given CSS background element.

Syntax

element( id )

where:

id

The ID of an element to use as the background, specified using the HTML attribute #id on the element.

Examples

These examples can be viewed live in builds of Firefox that support -moz-element().

A somewhat realistic example

This example uses a hidden <div> as a background. The background element uses a gradient, but also includes text that is rendered as part of the background.

<div style="width:400px; height:400px; background:-moz-element(#myBackground1) no-repeat;">
  <p>This box uses the element with the #myBackground1 ID as its background!</p>
</div>

<div style="overflow:hidden; height:0;">
  <div id="myBackground1" style="width:1024px; height:1024px; background-image: linear-gradient(to right, red, orange, yellow, white);">
  <p style="transform-origin:0 0; transform: rotate(45deg); color:white;">This text is part of the background. Cool, huh?</p>
  </div>
</div>

The <div> element with the ID "myBackground1" is used as the background for the content including the paragraph "This box uses the element with the #myBackground1 ID as its background!".

A somewhat more bizarre example

This example uses a hidden <button> element in a repeating pattern as its background. This demonstrates that you can use arbitrary elements as background, but doesn't necessarily demonstrate good design practices.

<div style="width:400px; height:100px; background:-moz-element(#myBackground2);">
</div>

<div style="overflow:hidden; height:0;">
  <button id="myBackground2" type="button">Evil button!</button>
</div>

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Image Values and Replaced Content Module Level 4 The definition of 'Using Elements as Images: the element() notation' in that specification.	Working Draft	Actually now deferred to CSS4.

Browser compatibility

[*] Usage limited to the background and background-image CSS properties.

See also

• document.mozSetImageElement()