Start modifying how your pages look and feel in this introductory exploration of CSS.

Web Essentials

If you’re looking to style your front-end, this module is for you. You'll find it particularly useful if you're coming from some other area of software development, although prior experience is not required.

In this module, you will start with a short tour of CSS. You’ll get to experiment with it through examples that explain its role and behavior. From there, you will then dive deep into each technology, exploring concepts like CSS patterns to make your web pages look good.

By the end of this module, you will be able to beautify your own web applications.

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

For the first few years I wrote CSS, I couldn't wrap my head around how gradients really worked.

Also, why on earth does the property name say,`background-image`? 

I had no idea. 

Well, now I'll save you the stress. Allow me explain it to you.


Gradients in CSS are images! 

Like any other image type used with the `backgroud-image` property, gradients are just images! Think `.png` , `.jpeg` etc. 

Allow that sink in for a bit.

While this may not interest you in any way, let me show you one darn good use of this.

 
 

## Multiple Backgrounds with Gradients
One of the benefits of gradients being background images is the ability to mix them with other image formats in a multiple background-image declaration.

Take a look at this:

```css
.bg {
 background: linear-gradient(rgba(192,57,43 ,0.8), rgba(44,62,80 ,0.8)),
 					url("http://i.imgur.com/tBhfy0L.jpg") 0% 0%/cover no-repeat 
}
```

What do you make of it?

The declaration above will apply both backgrounds to the element. As such you have an image behind a gradient blend!

For the first few years I wrote CSS, I couldn't wrap my head around how gradients really worked.

Also, why on earth does the property name say,`background-image`? 

I had no idea. 

Well, now I'll save you the stress. Allow me explain it to you.


Gradients in CSS are images! 

Like any other image type used with the `backgroud-image` property, gradients are just images! Think `.png` , `.jpeg` etc. 

Allow that sink in for a bit.

While this may not interest you in any way, let me show you one darn good use of this.

 
 

# Multiple Backgrounds with Gradients
One of the benefits of gradients being background images is the ability to mix them with other image formats in a multiple background-image declaration.

Take a look at this:

```css
.bg {
 background: linear-gradient(rgba(192,57,43 ,0.8), rgba(44,62,80 ,0.8)),
 					url("http://i.imgur.com/tBhfy0L.jpg") 0% 0%/cover no-repeat 
}
```

What do you make of it?

The declaration above will apply both backgrounds to the element. As such you have an image behind a gradient blend!

For the first few years I wrote CSS, I couldn't wrap my head around how gradients really worked.

Also, why on earth does the property name say,`background-image`? 

I had no idea. 

Well, now I'll save you the stress. Allow me explain it to you.


Gradients in CSS are images! 

Like any other image type used with the `backgroud-image` property, gradients are just images! Think `.png` , `.jpeg` etc. 

Allow that sink in for a bit.

While this may not interest you in any way, let me show you one darn good use of this.

 
 

# Multiple Backgrounds with Gradients
One of the benefits of gradients being background images is the ability to mix them with other image formats in a multiple background-image declaration.

Take a look at this:

```css
.bg {
 background: linear-gradient(rgba(192,57,43 ,0.8), rgba(44,62,80 ,0.8)),
 					url("http://i.imgur.com/tBhfy0L.jpg") 0% 0%/cover no-repeat 
}
```

What do you make of it?

The declaration above will apply both backgrounds to the element. As such you have an image behind a gradient blend!

Let's discuss the widely misunderstood concept of gradients in CSS as background images. Ready? Go!

Before We Begin

Getting started with CSS

Oh My Selectors!

CSS Fundamentals Everyone Should Know

Colors, colors, colors!

We all Need Units

Typography in CSS

The Box Model

Challenge: Practice with Texts, Margin, Padding and Borders

Getting creative with Backgrounds

Project: Build a Movie Order Page

Making Sense of CSS Gradients

Hands-on Practice with Gradients

Project: Build a Sign Up Page for a Startup

{New} Teach Me Positioning Like I'm Five

{New} A Detailed Look at CSS Variables ( a.k.a Custom Properties

{New} CSS Variables Real World Applications

{New} Long Live the CSS Grid

Final Words

Conclusion

Gradients are background Images!