What is the best way to make a linear gradient that spans the entire vertical space that is visible (or shifts to a solid color)?

Question

What is the best way to make a linear gradient that spans the entire vertical space that is visible (or shifts to a solid color)?

I'm trying to figure out how to apply a linear gradient to the body element of my webpage. Here's the CSS code I've been using:

body {
    background: linear-gradient(0deg, white, lightgray);
}

The issue I'm facing is that the gradient only shows up behind the content on the page, not in the 'blank' area below the content that extends to the bottom of the browser window when the content doesn't fill it completely.

What's even more confusing is that this 'blank' area has some default gray color that I am unable to trace back to its origin or change.

To address the issue, I attempted adding a solid color background after the gradient, thinking it would continue once the gradient ends. However, this didn't produce the desired effect:

body {
    background: linear-gradient(0deg, white, lightgray);
    background-color: lightgray;
}

If I remove the gradient line and keep only the background-color property, the entire background changes to lightgray as expected, eliminating the mysterious gray color that was there before.

Now I'm left with two questions:

How can I make sure the gradient extends to cover the whole window (even if the content doesn't reach the bottom)?
Is there a way for the end color of the gradient to overflow the visible area and fill the remaining space?

Either solution would be acceptable to me, but I'm at a loss on how to achieve it.

css html linear-gradients

Answer 1

Answer №1

It's quite peculiar, isn't it? The background color takes up the entire height of the window, but the background gradient does not.

However, there is a workaround if you're willing to set a specific min-height for the body.

body {
    margin: 0;
    background: linear-gradient(0deg, white, lightgray) no-repeat;
    background-color: lightgray;
    min-height: 100vh;
}

Note: By using min-height, the styling will work regardless of content overflowing the window or minimal content within.

Update:

1vh equals 1% of the viewport height.

vh serves as a CSS unit specifically tailored for viewport measurements.

It directly correlates with the viewport's size, ensuring that the body element spans the entire height available despite its contents.

Hence, 100vh corresponds to 100% of the viewport's vertical space.

For further insights on Viewport units, refer to this resource.

Support: If you're curious about cross-browser compatibility concerning Viewport Units, check out this guide.

I trust this clarification proves helpful for your situation.

Answer 2

It's quite peculiar, isn't it? The background color takes up the entire height of the window, but the background gradient does not.

However, there is a workaround if you're willing to set a specific min-height for the body.

body {
    margin: 0;
    background: linear-gradient(0deg, white, lightgray) no-repeat;
    background-color: lightgray;
    min-height: 100vh;
}

Note: By using min-height, the styling will work regardless of content overflowing the window or minimal content within.

Update:

1vh equals 1% of the viewport height.

vh serves as a CSS unit specifically tailored for viewport measurements.

It directly correlates with the viewport's size, ensuring that the body element spans the entire height available despite its contents.

Hence, 100vh corresponds to 100% of the viewport's vertical space.

For further insights on Viewport units, refer to this resource.

Support: If you're curious about cross-browser compatibility concerning Viewport Units, check out this guide.

I trust this clarification proves helpful for your situation.

Answer 3

Answer №2

It turns out that the code you provided was very close to being correct. When you see what the change was, you'll find it amusing.

body {
    background: linear-gradient(180deg, white, lightgray) no-repeat;
    background-color: lightgray;
}

The only adjustment I made was adding "no-repeat" to the background property. This causes the gradient to smoothly transition from the top of the content to the bottom before settling on a solid color.

Below is a snippet demonstrating how it looks in action:

"use strict";
function newEl(tag){return document.createElement(tag)}
function byId(id){return document.getElementById(id)}
window.addEventListener('load', onWindowLoaded, false);

function onWindowLoaded(evt) {
    doDraw();
}

function doDraw() {
    var can = byId('output');
    var ctx = can.getContext('2d');
    ctx.translate(0.5, 0.5);
    ctx.fillStyle = '#fff';
    ctx.fillRect(0, 0, can.width,can.height);
    ctx.strokeStyle = '#d9d9d9';
    
    ctx.beginPath();

    for (var y = 0; y < can.height; y += 16) {
        ctx.moveTo(0, y);
        ctx.lineTo(can.width, y);
    }
    
    for (var x = 0; x < can.width; x += 16) {
        ctx.moveTo(x, 0);
        ctx.lineTo(x, can.height);
    }

    ctx.stroke();
}

body {
    background: linear-gradient(180deg, white, lightgray) no-repeat;
    background-color: lightgray;
}

<canvas id='output' width='241' height='225' />

Answer 4

It turns out that the code you provided was very close to being correct. When you see what the change was, you'll find it amusing.

body {
    background: linear-gradient(180deg, white, lightgray) no-repeat;
    background-color: lightgray;
}

The only adjustment I made was adding "no-repeat" to the background property. This causes the gradient to smoothly transition from the top of the content to the bottom before settling on a solid color.

Below is a snippet demonstrating how it looks in action:

"use strict";
function newEl(tag){return document.createElement(tag)}
function byId(id){return document.getElementById(id)}
window.addEventListener('load', onWindowLoaded, false);

function onWindowLoaded(evt) {
    doDraw();
}

function doDraw() {
    var can = byId('output');
    var ctx = can.getContext('2d');
    ctx.translate(0.5, 0.5);
    ctx.fillStyle = '#fff';
    ctx.fillRect(0, 0, can.width,can.height);
    ctx.strokeStyle = '#d9d9d9';
    
    ctx.beginPath();

    for (var y = 0; y < can.height; y += 16) {
        ctx.moveTo(0, y);
        ctx.lineTo(can.width, y);
    }
    
    for (var x = 0; x < can.width; x += 16) {
        ctx.moveTo(x, 0);
        ctx.lineTo(x, can.height);
    }

    ctx.stroke();
}

body {
    background: linear-gradient(180deg, white, lightgray) no-repeat;
    background-color: lightgray;
}

<canvas id='output' width='241' height='225' />

What is the best way to make a linear gradient that spans the entire vertical space that is visible (or shifts to a solid color)?

Answer №1

Update:

Answer №2

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