transform

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since September 2015.

The transform CSS property lets you rotate, scale, skew, or translate an element. It modifies the coordinate space of the CSS visual formatting model.

Try it

If the property has a value different from none, a stacking context will be created. In that case, the element will act as a containing block for any position: fixed; or position: absolute; elements that it contains.

Warning: Only transformable elements can be transformed. That is, all elements whose layout is governed by the CSS box model except for: non-replaced inline boxes, table-column boxes, and table-column-group boxes.

Syntax

css

/* Keyword values */
transform: none;

/* Function values */
transform: matrix(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6);
transform: matrix3d(1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1);
transform: perspective(17px);
transform: rotate(0.5turn);
transform: rotate3d(1, 2, 3, 10deg);
transform: rotateX(10deg);
transform: rotateY(10deg);
transform: rotateZ(10deg);
transform: translate(12px, 50%);
transform: translate3d(12px, 50%, 3em);
transform: translateX(2em);
transform: translateY(3in);
transform: translateZ(2px);
transform: scale(2, 0.5);
transform: scale3d(2.5, 1.2, 0.3);
transform: scaleX(2);
transform: scaleY(0.5);
transform: scaleZ(0.3);
transform: skew(30deg, 20deg);
transform: skewX(30deg);
transform: skewY(1.07rad);

/* Multiple function values */
transform: translateX(10px) rotate(10deg) translateY(5px);
transform: perspective(500px) translate3d(10px, 0, 20px) rotateY(30deg);

/* Global values */
transform: inherit;
transform: initial;
transform: revert;
transform: revert-layer;
transform: unset;

The transform property may be specified as either the keyword value none or as one or more <transform-function> values.

Values

<transform-function>: One or more of the CSS transform functions to be applied. The transform functions are multiplied in order from left to right, meaning that composite transforms are effectively applied in order from right to left.
none: Specifies that no transform should be applied.

Accessibility

Scaling/zooming animations are problematic for accessibility, as they are a common trigger for certain types of migraine. If you need to include such animations on your website, you should provide a control to allow users to turn off animations, preferably site-wide.

Also, consider making use of the prefers-reduced-motion media feature — use it to write a media query that will turn off animations if the user has reduced animation specified in their system preferences.

Find out more:

Formal definition

Initial value	`none`
Applies to	transformable elements
Inherited	no
Percentages	refer to the size of bounding box
Computed value	as specified, but with relative lengths converted into absolute lengths
Animation type	a transform
Creates stacking context	yes

Formal syntax

transform = 
  none              |
  <transform-list>  

<transform-list> = 
  <transform-function>+

Examples

Translating and rotating an element

HTML

html

<div>Transformed element</div>

CSS

css

div {
  border: solid red;
  transform: translate(30px, 20px) rotate(20deg);
  width: 140px;
  height: 60px;
}

Result

Transform order

The order of transform functions matters. In this example, two boxes are rotated and translated by the same values; only the transform function order is different.

HTML

html

<div class="original"></div>
<div class="one">1</div>
<div class="two">2</div>

CSS

div {
  height: 200px;
  width: 200px;
  position: absolute;
  left: 200px;
  top: 50px;
  font-size: 4rem;
  line-height: 200px;
  text-align: center;
}
.original {
  border: 1px dashed;
}
.original:before,
.original:after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  top: 100px;
  width: 500px;
  left: -150px;
  height: 1px;
  border-top: 2px dotted;
}
.original:after {
  transform: rotate(135deg);
}
.one {
  background-color: #ccc;
}
.two {
  background-color: #d6bb72;
}

css

.one {
  transform: translateX(200px) rotate(135deg);
}
.two {
  transform: rotate(135deg) translateX(200px);
}

Result

When an element is rotated before being translated, the translate direction is on the rotated axis. The axis as indicated with the dotted lines.

More examples

Please see Using CSS transforms and <transform-function> for more examples.

Specifications

Specification
CSS Transforms Module Level 2 # transform-functions
CSS Transforms Module Level 1 # transform-property

Browser compatibility

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