May 5, 2012

CSS Lesson 6: Shorthand Properties (Padding and Margin)

The padding and margin CSS properties are essential in building web layouts.  Since rectangles (block level elements) have four corners, you will frequently need to assign four different padding properties to one element.  If you are a beginner, this is the code you would likely use: However, there is a much more efficient (not to […]

May 5, 2012

CSS Lesson 5: Understanding The Box Model Part 2: Margin

As you begin designing layouts with CSS you will inevitably need to create spacing between elements; thus, today’s lesson is regarding the “margin” property.  Let’s begin with a quick image to illustrate the margin property in action: Margin is space added to the outside of an element (past the element’s edge, or border).  In some […]

May 4, 2012

CSS Lesson 4: Understanding The Box Model Part 1: Padding

In our previous lesson we learned the basic syntax of CSS code.  We are now able to apply basic styles like defining a color or center aligning text.  But before we can learn advanced CSS techniques we must study what is known as “The CSS Box Model.” Elements Are Rectangles First, you will need to […]

May 4, 2012

CSS Lesson 3: Basic CSS Selectors

CSS Selectors allow us to target specific HTML elements with our style sheets.  While there are many different types of CSS Selectors, today’s lesson focuses on the four essential selectors; Type, ID, Class and Descendant selectors. First We Need a Page To Style CSS isn’t very useful without a page to style.  Create a blank […]

May 4, 2012

CSS Lesson 2: How To Create Your First CSS File

Today we are going to write and save our first CSS file. Let’s begin by opening a text editing program. If you are on a Microsoft Windows PC open the program named Notepad (hold down the Windows Key on your keyboard and press R, then type notepad and press enter). If you are using a […]

May 4, 2012

CSS Lesson 1: What is CSS?

So you want to learn CSS? Great decision; CSS is the language for web and graphic designers to learn. Short for Cascading Style Sheet, CSS is the language used to add style to HTML elements. If you are unfamiliar with HTML you will have little use for CSS, so I recommend you begin reading my […]