You can use the opacity property to change the background opacity of an element in CSS.
Sometimes you want some part of the webpage to look transparent or partially transparent for a stylish look. You can use CSS properties to make the background transparent while keeping the content inside clear and visible. There are multiple ways to change the background opacity such as opacity property, rgba() colors, and background-blend-mode. Let’s discuss these methods in this blog.
Table of Contents:
Methods to Change the Background Opacity of an Element
You can use CSS properties to change the background opacity. Let’s discuss these properties below.
Method 1: Using opacity Property
The element transparency can be changed by using the opacity property. This will be applied to all elements, including the text and its child element.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Opacity Example</title>
<style>
.opacity-box {
background-color: blue;
opacity: 0.5; /* 50% opacity */
width: 300px;
height: 100px;
color: white;
text-align: center;
padding: 20px;
margin: 20px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Using Opacity</h2>
<div class="opacity-box">This text is also transparent!</div>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Explanation: The div, including the text, changed to 50% transparent. The opacity of the background and content, like the image and text inside the element, are reduced by this method.
Method 2: Using rgba() for Background Transparency
Using the rgba() color format, you can only change the background opacity. The text and content can be kept fully visible. It is the best method for changing the background transparency because it won’t affect the child elements.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>RGBA Example</title>
<style>
.rgba-box {
background-color: rgba(0, 0, 255, 0.5); /* Blue with 50% transparency */
width: 300px;
height: 100px;
color: white;
text-align: center;
padding: 20px;
margin: 20px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Using RGBA</h2>
<div class="rgba-box">Only background is transparent!</div>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Explanation: In this method, only the background is changed to transparent, while the text is kept visible. The background changed by 50% transparency in blue color using background-color: rgba(0, 0, 255, 0.5).
Method 3: Using background-blend-mode
The background can be blended with the elements using the background-blend-mode. This method gives the color semi-transparency.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Background Blend Mode Example</title>
<style>
.blend-box {
background: url('https://via.placeholder.com/300') no-repeat center/cover, rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5);
background-blend-mode: multiply;
width: 300px;
height: 150px;
color: white;
text-align: center;
padding: 20px;
margin: 20px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Using Background Blend Mode</h2>
<div class="blend-box">Blended background effect</div>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Explanation: This code creates the div with semi-transparency using rgba(), and 0.5 sets 50% opacity. The text remains fully visible, and only the background is affected.
Method 4: Using Transparent Pseudo-Elements
You can use the pseudo-element to make the background transparent without affecting the text. This method is mostly suitable for overlapping elements.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Pseudo-Element Background Opacity</title>
<style>
.pseudo-box {
position: relative;
width: 300px;
height: 100px;
color: white;
text-align: center;
padding: 20px;
margin: 20px;
background: none;
}
.pseudo-box::before {
content: "";
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
background-color: rgba(0, 128, 0, 0.5); /* Green with 50% transparency */
z-index: -1;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Using Pseudo-Element</h2>
<div class="pseudo-box">Text remains fully visible</div>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Explanation: You can use this method to make the background 50% transparent in a green color and solid text.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned methods are the most efficient ways to change the background opacity of the element. The CSS properties such as the opacity property, rgba() colors, and background-blend-mode are discussed in this blog. You can make the background less important, this grabs more attention from users to the content inside the elements, which improves readability and user experience.
How to Change the Background Opacity of an Element in CSS? – FAQs
1. How do I change the background opacity?
By adjusting the opacity property in CSS, you can change the background transparency. This affects the entire content, including text.
2. Can I make only the background transparent without affecting the content inside?
Yes, you can use the rgba() colors to set the background without affecting all the inside content.
3. What is background-blend-mode?
This property allows the user to mix the background color with images to create effects like making the background lighter or darker.
4. Why does changing the opacity affect the whole element?
The opacity property affects the whole element, including the content inside. To change just the background’s transparency, use rgba() colors or background-blend-mode.
5. How can I use different opacity levels for background images and colors?
You can do this by layering multiple backgrounds and adjusting their transparency separately using rgba() color and background-blend-mode.