Tillitsdone
down Scroll to discover

CSS min-inline-size Set Minimum Size Along Inline Axis

CSS min-inline-size sets the minimum size of an element along its inline axis for different writing modes.

Options include lengths, percentages, and keywords like auto, min-content, and max-content.
thumbnail

Introduction

The CSS min-inline-size property sets the minimum size of an element along its inline axis, depending on the writing mode. This property is particularly useful for creating flexible and responsive designs, especially when dealing with different text orientations. The min-inline-size property has been widely supported across major browsers since September 2021.

What is min-inline-size?

The min-inline-size CSS property defines the minimum size of an element along its inline axis, depending on its writing mode. In horizontal writing modes, min-inline-size is equivalent to the min-width property. In vertical writing modes, it corresponds to the min-height property. This adaptability makes min-inline-size a versatile tool for ensuring that elements maintain a minimum size, regardless of the text direction.

Syntax

The min-inline-size property in CSS allows you to specify the minimum size of an element along its inline axis. The syntax for this property is straightforward and supports a variety of values, including lengths, percentages, and keywords.

min-inline-size: <length> | <percentage> | auto | none | min-content | max-content | fit-content | inherit | initial | unset;

Values

The min-inline-size property accepts a variety of values, providing flexibility for defining the minimum size of an element along its inline axis.

  • <length>: Specifies a fixed value for the minimum size, using units such as pixels (px), centimeters (cm), or points (pt).
  • <percentage>: Sets the minimum size as a percentage of the containing block’s size.
  • auto: Allows the browser to determine the minimum size based on the content and layout constraints.
  • none: Specifies that there is no minimum size constraint.
  • min-content: Sets the minimum size to the smallest possible size that can contain the content.
  • max-content: Sets the minimum size to the largest possible size that can contain the content.
  • fit-content: Allows the size to be determined by the content size, with the option to specify a fallback length.
  • inherit: Inherits the min-inline-size value from the parent element.
  • initial: Resets the property to its default value.
  • unset: Resets the property to its natural value.
  • revert: Resets the property to the browser’s default value.
  • revert-layer: Resets the property to the value that would have been applied if the current layer of cascade had not been applied.

Formal Definition

The min-inline-size property is formally defined to set the minimum size of an element along its inline axis, depending on the writing mode.

PropertyValue
Initial Value0
Applies toSame as [width]WebsiteUrl and [height]WebsiteUrl
InheritedNo
PercentagesRelative to the inline-size of the containing block
Computed ValueSame as [min-width]WebsiteUrl and [min-height]WebsiteUrl
Animation TypeA [length]WebsiteUrl, [percentage]WebsiteUrl, or calc()

Formal Syntax

min-inline-size =
<'min-width'>
<'min-width'> =
auto /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
<length-percentage [0,]> /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
min-content /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
max-content /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
fit-content( <length-percentage [0,]> ) /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
<calc-size()> /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
<anchor-size()>
<length-percentage> =
[<length>]WebsiteUrl /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
[<percentage>]WebsiteUrl
<calc-size()> =
calc-size( <calc-size-basis> , <calc-sum> )
<anchor-size()> =
anchor-size( [[ <anchor-element> || <anchor-size> ]? , <length-percentage>? )
<calc-size-basis> =
[<intrinsic-size-keyword>]WebsiteUrl /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
<calc-size()> /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
any /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
<calc-sum>
<calc-sum> =
<calc-product> [ [ '+' | '-' ] <calc-product> ]*
<anchor-element> =
[<dashed-ident>]WebsiteUrl
<anchor-size> =
width /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
height /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
block /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
inline /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
self-block /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
self-inline
<calc-product> =
<calc-value> [ [ '*' | '/' ] <calc-value> ]*
<calc-value> =
[<number>]WebsiteUrl /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
[<dimension>]WebsiteUrl /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
[<percentage>]WebsiteUrl /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
<calc-keyword> /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
( <calc-sum> )
<calc-keyword> =
e /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
pi /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
infinity /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
-infinity /* Single bar: exactly one of the entities must be present */
NaN

Examples

Setting Minimum Inline Size for Horizontal Text

HTML

<div class="horizontal-text">
This is some horizontal text.
</div>

CSS

.horizontal-text {
writing-mode: horizontal-tb;
min-inline-size: 200px;
border: 1px solid black;
}

Setting Minimum Inline Size for Vertical Text

HTML

<div class="vertical-text">
This is some vertical text.
</div>

CSS

.vertical-text {
writing-mode: vertical-lr;
min-inline-size: 100px;
border: 1px solid black;
}

Using Percentages

HTML

<div class="percentage-text">
This is some text with a percentage-based minimum size.
</div>

CSS

.percentage-text {
min-inline-size: 50%;
border: 1px solid black;
}

Using Keywords

HTML

<div class="keyword-text">
This is some text with a keyword-based minimum size.
</div>

CSS

.keyword-text {
min-inline-size: min-content;
border: 1px solid black;
}

Browser Compatibility

The min-inline-size property is widely supported across modern web browsers:

  • Firefox: Supported since version 41+
  • Google Chrome: Supported since version 57+
  • Edge: Supported since version 79+
  • Opera: Supported since version 44+
  • Safari: Supported since version 12.1+

See Also

  • [min-width]WebsiteUrl: Sets the minimum width of an element.
  • [min-height]WebsiteUrl: Sets the minimum height of an element.
  • [writing-mode]WebsiteUrl: Defines the writing mode of an element.
icons/css-4.svg CSS Blogs
CSS3 is the latest version of Cascading Style Sheets, offering advanced styling features like animations, transitions, shadows, gradients, and responsive design.
css_property_cover/css-property-anchor-name.png CSS Anchor-Name Enhancing Web Layouts with Anchors Discover the CSS anchor-name property, a powerful tool for defining elements as anchors and creating dynamic, responsive web layouts. Learn about its use cases, available options, and how to effectively implement it in your projects. css_property_cover/css-property-font-variant-position.png CSS Font-Variant-Position Enhance Typography with Superscript and Subscript Discover the CSS font-variant-position property for controlling superscript and subscript glyphs. Learn about its use cases, available options like 'normal', 'sub', and 'super', and how to incorporate it into your web design projects for improved typography. css_property_cover/css-property-height.png CSS Height Understanding and Using the Height Property Learn about CSS height property, its use case, and the various options available for setting the height of elements. Understand how to use pixels, percentages, and keywords like auto, max-content, and min-content. css_property_cover/css-property-inset.png CSS Inset Simplify Element Positioning Learn how to use the CSS inset property to easily set the top, right, bottom, and left offsets of an element. Discover available options, examples, and browser compatibility. css_property_cover/css-property-overflow-y.png CSS Overflow-y Managing Vertical Content Overflow Discover the CSS overflow-y property for managing vertical content overflow. Learn about its use cases, available options like visible, hidden, scroll, auto, and clip, and how to implement them effectively. css_property_cover/css-property-border-block-start-style.png CSS border-block-start-style Define Logical Border Styles Learn how to use the CSS border-block-start-style property to define the style of the logical block start border of an element. Discover available options like dashed, dotted, solid, and more.
icons/logo-tid.svg

Talk with CEO

Ready to bring your web/app to life or boost your team with expert Thai developers?
Contact us today to discuss your needs, and let’s create tailored solutions to achieve your goals. We’re here to help at every step!
🖐️ Contact us
Let's keep in Touch
Thank you for your interest in Tillitsdone! Whether you have a question about our services, want to discuss a potential project, or simply want to say hello, we're here and ready to assist you.
We'll be right here with you every step of the way.
Contact Information
rick@tillitsdone.com+66824564755
Find All the Ways to Get in Touch with Tillitsdone - We're Just a Click, Call, or Message Away. We'll Be Right Here, Ready to Respond and Start a Conversation About Your Needs.
Address
9 Phahonyothin Rd, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani, Bangkok Thailand
Visit Tillitsdone at Our Physical Location - We'd Love to Welcome You to Our Creative Space. We'll Be Right Here, Ready to Show You Around and Discuss Your Ideas in Person.
Social media
Connect with Tillitsdone on Various Social Platforms - Stay Updated and Engage with Our Latest Projects and Insights. We'll Be Right Here, Sharing Our Journey and Ready to Interact with You.
We anticipate your communication and look forward to discussing how we can contribute to your business's success.
We'll be here, prepared to commence this promising collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore frequently asked questions about our products and services.
Whether you're curious about features, warranties, or shopping policies, we provide comprehensive answers to assist you.