Block Styles

The block styles can be applied to most blocks, including section headings, delimited blocks, admonitions, tables, captions, and block images.

Block alignment

The align key is used to align a block horizontally within its parent container. This key is used for non-text elements, such as an image, table, or caption with a narrower width than the content area. It’s roughly akin to the function of the align-self property of a flexbox element in CSS (when the flex direction is row).

The block can be aligned using the following keywords:

center: The block is centered horizontally within the parent container.
left: The block is aligned to the left side of the parent container.
right: The block is aligned to the right side of the parent container.
inherit: Only applies to the captions of block images (image-caption) and tables (table-caption). The value inherit resolves to the alignment of the block image or table. Further information about using inherit on image captions and table captions, can be found on xref Block Image Styles and Table Styles, respectively.

The align key is distinct from the similarly-named text-align key. The text-align key aligns text within the text box using text alignment rules.

Border width

The border-width key specifies the width of the border applied to a block. The key accepts a single measurement value or an array of measurements. When a single value is assigned to border-width, that value is applied to all four edges of the border.

Single value assigned to border-width

sidebar:
  border-width: 4 (1)

1	You don’t need to enclose a single value in a set of square brackets. If you do enclose the value in square brackets, it will be treated as an array, and any value assigned to the `border-radius` key will be ignored.

When a 2-value array is assigned to border-width, the first value is applied to the top and bottom borders, and the second value is applied to the left and right side borders.

Two-value array assigned to border-width

example:
  border-width: [0.5, 2]

When a 4-value array is assigned to border-width, the first value is applied to the top border, the second to the right side border, the third to the bottom border, and the fourth to the left side border.

Four-value array assigned to border-width

heading:
  h2-border-width: [0.75, 0, 2, 0]

If you don’t want a border applied to a block category, assign a tilde (~) to the border-width key.

Unset border-width

sidebar:
  border-width: ~

Border color

The border-color key specifies the color of a border. It accepts the following types of values:

Hex, RGB, or CMYK color: A single color specified using the hex, RGB, or CMYK format. See Colors to learn how to assign these formats in the theming language.
transparent: A special keyword that indicates a color should not be used when drawing the border.
Array of colors: Only applies to the table category. An array that specifies a color per edge on tables.

The border-color key value is ignored if border-width isn’t set or is set to 0 on the category.

Border radius

The border-radius key rounds the corners of a block’s outer border. It accepts a single measurement value.

sidebar:
  border-width: 4
  border-radius: 2

The border-radius key value is ignored if border-width is assigned an array of values. The border-radius key can’t be set on the table category.

Border style

The border-style key specifies the line style used when drawing a border. In most cases, it accepts the following values:

dashed: The border is drawn as a series of short line segments.
dotted: The border is drawn as a series of rounded dots.
double: The border is drawn as two parallel, straight, solid lines. The double value can’t be applied to table borders.
solid: The border is drawn as a straight, single line.
Array of styles: Only applies to the table category. An array that specifies a style per edge on tables.

The border-style key value is ignored on a block category if border-width isn’t set or border-width is set to 0 on the category.

Padding

Several of the block categories, such as admonition, sidebar, verse, etc., allow their padding to be customized. The padding key specifies the amount of space between a block’s content and its border. The key accepts a single measurement value or an array of measurements. When a single value is assigned to padding, the same amount of padding is applied to all four sides.

Single value assigned to padding

quote:
  padding: 1.2mm (1)

1	You don’t need to enclose a single value in a set of square brackets.

When a 2-value array is assigned to padding, the first value is applied to the top and bottom padding, and the second value is applied to the left and right side padding.

Two-value array assigned to padding

sidebar:
  padding: [0.5, 2]

When a 4-value array is assigned to padding, the first value is applied to the top, the second to the right side, the third to the bottom, and the fourth to the left side padding.

Four-value array assigned to padding

code:
  padding: [0.75in, 0, 2in, 0.5in]

The padding key also accepts a 3-value array, where the first value is applied to the top, the second to the right and left side, and the third to the bottom.