clip-path

Summary

The clip-path CSS property prevents a portion of an element from getting displayed by defining a clipping region to be displayed i.e, only a specific region of the element is displayed. The clipping region is a path specified as a URL referencing an inline or external SVG, or shape method such as circle(). The clip-path property replaces the now deprecated clip property.

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
clip-path: none;
clip-path: fill-box;
clip-path: stroke-box;
clip-path: view-box;

/* Image values */
clip-path: url(resources.svg#c1);

/* Geometry values */
clip-path: inset(100px 50px);
clip-path: circle(50px at 0 100px);
clip-path: polygon(50% 0%, 100% 50%, 50% 100%, 0% 50%);

/* Global values */
clip-path: inherit;
clip-path: initial;
clip-path: unset;

Values

<clip-source>

Represents a URL referencing a clip path element.

<basic-shape>

A basic shape function as defined in the CSS Shapes specification. A basic shape makes use of the specified reference box to size and position the basic shape. If no reference box is specified, the border-box will be used as reference box.

<geometry-box>

If specified in combination with a <basic-shape>, it provides the reference box for the basic shape. If specified by itself, it uses the edges of the specified box including any corner shaping (e.g. defined by border-radius) as clipping path.

fill-box

Uses the object bounding box as reference box.

stroke-box

Uses the stroke bounding box as reference box.

view-box

Uses the nearest SVG viewport as reference box. If a viewBox attribute is specified for the element creating the SVG viewport, the reference box is positioned at the origin of the coordinate system established by the viewBox attribute and the dimension of the reference box is set to the width and height values of the viewBox attribute.

none

There is no clipping path created.

Formal syntax

<clip-source> | [ <basic-shape> || <geometry-box> ] | none
where 
<clip-source> = <url>
<basic-shape> = <inset()> | <circle()> | <ellipse()> | <polygon()>
<geometry-box> = <shape-box> | fill-box | stroke-box | view-box
where 
<inset()> = inset( <length-percentage>{1,4} [ round <border-radius> ]? )
<circle()> = circle( [ <shape-radius> ]? [ at <position> ]? )
<ellipse()> = ellipse( [ <shape-radius>{2} ]? [ at <position> ]? )
<polygon()> = polygon( <fill-rule>? , [ <length-percentage> <length-percentage> ]# )
<shape-box> = <box> | margin-box
where 
<length-percentage> = <length> | <percentage>
<shape-radius> = <length-percentage> | closest-side | farthest-side
<position> = [[ left | center | right | top | bottom | <length-percentage> ] | [ left | center | right | <length-percentage> ] [ top | center | bottom | <length-percentage> ] | [ center | [ left | right ] <length-percentage>? ] && [ center | [ top | bottom ] <length-percentage>? ]]
<fill-rule> = nonzero | evenodd
<box> = border-box | padding-box | content-box

Examples

/* inline SVG  */
.target {
  clip-path: url(#c1);
}

/* external SVG */
.anothertarget {
  clip-path: url(resources.svg#c1);
}

/* circle */
.circleClass {
  clip-path: circle(15px at 20px 20px);
}

Live sample

HTML

<img id="clipped" src="https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/12668/MDN.svg"
    alt="MDN logo">
<svg height="0" width="0">
  <defs>
    <clipPath id="cross">
      <rect y="110" x="137" width="90" height="90"/>
      <rect x="0" y="110" width="90" height="90"/>
      <rect x="137" y="0" width="90" height="90"/>
      <rect x="0" y="0" width="90" height="90"/>
    </clipPath>
  </defs>
</svg>

<select id="clipPath">
  <option value="none">none</option>
  <option value="circle(100px at 110px 100px)">circle</option>
  <option value="url(#cross)" selected>cross</option>
  <option value="inset(20px round 20px)">inset</option>
</select>

CSS

#clipped {
  margin-bottom: 20px;
  clip-path: url(#cross);
}

var clipPathSelect = document.getElementById("clipPath");
clipPathSelect.addEventListener("change", function (evt) {
  document.getElementById("clipped").style.clipPath = evt.target.value;
});

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

[1] Chrome and Opera currently don't support external SVGs.

[2] This feature is implemented behind the preference layout.css.clip-path-shapes.enabled, defaulting to false. Basic shapes except inset() got implemented in bug 1075457, inset() got implemented in bug 1246762.

[3] This feature is not implemented yet. See bug 1246741.

See also

• clip-rule, mask, filter
• Applying SVG effects to HTML content
• clip-path SVG attribute