Quick Reference
The transform property applies a 2D or 3D transformation to an element, allowing it to be rotated, scaled, moved, skewed, etc.
Rotate an Element
div {
transform: rotate(20deg);
}Scale an Element
/* increases the element to be 2X its orignal width and 3X its original height */
div {
transform: scale(2, 3);
}Scew an Element
/* skews the element 20 degrees along the Y-axis */
div {
transform: skewY(20deg);
}Default
| Default value | none |
| Inherited values | no |
| Can it be animated? | yes |
These are the allowed values.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| none | Defines that there should be no transformation |
| matrix(n,n,n,n,n,n) | Defines a 2D transformation, using a matrix of six values |
| matrix3d (n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n) | Defines a 3D transformation, using a 4x4 matrix of 16 values |
| translate(x,y) | Defines a 2D translation |
| translate3d(x,y,z) | Defines a 3D translation |
| translateX(x) | Defines a translation, using only the value for the X-axis |
| translateY(y) | Defines a translation, using only the value for the Y-axis |
| translateZ(z) | Defines a 3D translation, using only the value for the Z-axis |
| scale(x,y) | Defines a 2D scale transformation |
| scale3d(x,y,z) | Defines a 3D scale transformation |
| scaleX(x) | Defines a scale transformation by giving a value for the X-axis |
| scaleY(y) | Defines a scale transformation by giving a value for the Y-axis |
| scaleZ(z) | Defines a 3D scale transformation by giving a value for the Z-axis |
| rotate(angle) | Defines a 2D rotation, the angle is specified in the parameter |
| rotate3d(x,y,z,angle) | Defines a 3D rotation |
| rotateX(angle) | Defines a 3D rotation along the X-axis |
| rotateY(angle) | Defines a 3D rotation along the Y-axis |
| rotateZ(angle) | Defines a 3D rotation along the Z-axis |
| skew(x-angle,y-angle) | Defines a 2D skew transformation along the X- and the Y-axis |
| skewX(angle) | Defines a 2D skew transformation along the X-axis |
| skewY(angle) | Defines a 2D skew transformation along the Y-axis |
| perspective(n) | Defines a perspective view for a 3D transformed element |
| initial | Sets this property to its default value |
| inherit | Inherits this property from its parent element |
Using JavaScript
The HTML element can also be styled using JavaScript and the element’s id.
document.getElementById('my_div').style.transform = 'rotate(45deg)';<button onclick='my_function()'>Click Here</button>
<script>
function my_function() {
document.getElementById('my_div').style.transform = 'rotate(45deg)';
}
</script>CSS Notes:
- The “inherit”, “initial” and “unset” keywords can be used with any CSS property to set its value
- In CSS there are many ways to express a color value in a property
We’d like to acknowledge that we learned a great deal of our coding from W3Schools and TutorialsPoint, borrowing heavily from their teaching process and excellent code examples. We highly recommend both sites to deepen your experience, and further your coding journey. We’re just hitting the basics here at 1SMARTchicken.