Say Goodbye To CSS Background Image Trouble!
Follow these two steps when troubleshooting CSS background images and you’ll eliminate one of the biggest headaches for novice CSS coders.
Step 1: Check For File or Path Name Errors
Be sure the image file name and path are correct. Don’t forget to account for the relative path from the file calling the image to the directory where the image resides. Also, don’t forget that file names and path names are case sensitive. When a CSS background image stubbornly refuses to load, this is often the culprit. So, verify those file names and paths. If the image still won’t render, move to Step 2.
Step 2: Check For Syntax Errors
Here’s an example of correct background-image syntax for a div with class of “clouds”.
First, the HTML:
<div class="clouds"> ...some content here </div>
Now, the CSS:
div.clouds{ background-image: url(myimages/clouds.jpg); }
Note: quote marks are not required or recommended inside the parentheses.
This is the correct CSS syntax to declare a background image. This rule will work as long as our path and file name are correct, per Step 1. In this case, our background image, “clouds.jpg”, must be in the “myimages” directory and the “myimages” directory must be a subdirectory of the directory where our HTML file resides. For example, our HTML file is in our root directory for our web files and “myimages” is a subdirectory of the root directory. Otherwise, the path will need to be adjusted accordingly.
