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CSS How to Make a Website CSS: Cascading Style Sheets Style the Basic Elements

Victoria Leonard
Victoria Leonard
302 Points
Posted by Victoria Leonard
Victoria Leonard
302 Points

I don't know how to "center" text with a margin property!

The task is for me to center the text with the "margin" property, but I though that the property "text-align" was used to position text...

css/main.css 
a {
  text-decoration: none;
}
# wrapper {
  max-width: 940px;
  margin: center;
}
index.html 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title>Nick Pettit | Designer</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/normalize.css">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/main.css">
  </head>
  <body>
    <header>
      <a href="index.html" id="logo">
        <h1>Nick Pettit</h1>
        <h2>Designer</h2>
      </a>
      <nav>
        <ul>
          <li><a href="index.html" class="selected">Portfolio</a></li>
          <li><a href="about.html">About</a></li>
          <li><a href="contact.html">Contact</a></li>
        </ul>
      </nav>
    </header>
    <div id="wrapper">
      <section>
        <ul>
          <li>
            <a href="img/numbers-01.jpg">
              <img src="img/numbers-01.jpg" alt="">
              <p>Experimentation with color and texture.</p>
            </a>
          </li>
          <li>
            <a href="img/numbers-02.jpg">
              <img src="img/numbers-02.jpg" alt="">
              <p>Playing with blending modes in Photoshop.</p>
            </a>
          </li>
          <li>
            <a href="img/numbers-06.jpg">
              <img src="img/numbers-06.jpg" alt="">
              <p>Trying to create an 80's style of glows.</p>
            </a>
          </li>
          <li>
            <a href="img/numbers-09.jpg">
              <img src="img/numbers-09.jpg" alt="">
              <p>Drips created using Photoshop brushes.</p>
            </a>
          </li>
          <li>
            <a href="img/numbers-12.jpg">
              <img src="img/numbers-12.jpg" alt="">
              <p>Creating shapes using repetition.</p>
            </a>
          </li>
        </ul>
      </section>
      <footer>
        <a href="http://twitter.com/nickrp"><img src="img/twitter-wrap.png" alt="Twitter Logo"></a>
        <a href="http://facebook.com/nickpettit"><img src="img/facebook-wrap.png" alt="Facebook Logo"></a>
        <p>&copy; 2014 Nick Pettit.</p>
      </footer>
    </div>
  </body>
</html>

3 Answers

Abe Layee
Abe Layee
8,378 Points
Abe Layee
Abe Layee
8,378 Points

The margin property takes number not letter. In this code below, 0 is for up/down and auto for left and right. By using auto, you're basically telling the browser to calculate the space for you. In thise case, auto is referring to left and right.

#wrapper {
  max-width: 940px;
  margin: 0 auto;
}
Victoria Leonard
Victoria Leonard
302 Points
Victoria Leonard
Victoria Leonard
302 Points

I guess I'm not clear on the difference on centering with: margin: o auto; and... text-align: center;

How do I know when to use a different value in the property of "margin"?

Abe Layee
Abe Layee
8,378 Points
Abe Layee
Abe Layee
8,378 Points

We use the text-align property mostly to center text on a website. Think of margin as the space outside the box . Check this site out to learn more about the box model https://css-tricks.com/the-css-box-model/

Rhett Moxon
Rhett Moxon
449 Points
Rhett Moxon
Rhett Moxon
449 Points

I think what you're talking about is using "margin:auto;" to center block level elements.

You could have a block level element that has text left, right or centered within.

You can also layout inline-block level elements using "text-align:;"