The only (and the best cross-browser) way as I know is to use an inline-block
helper with height: 100%
and vertical-align: middle
on both elements.
So there is a solution: http://jsfiddle.net/kizu/4RPFa/4570/
.frame { height: 25px; /* Equals maximum image height */ width: 160px; border: 1px solid red; white-space: nowrap; /* This is required unless you put the helper span closely near the img */ text-align: center; margin: 1em 0; } .helper { display: inline-block; height: 100%; vertical-align: middle; } img { background: #3A6F9A; vertical-align: middle; max-height: 25px; max-width: 160px; }
<div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=250px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=25px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=23px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=21px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=19px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=17px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=15px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=13px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=11px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=9px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=7px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=5px /> </div> <div class="frame"> <span class="helper"></span> <img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=3px /> </div>
Or, if you don't want to have an extra element in modern browsers and don't mind using Internet Explorer expressions, you can use a pseudo-element and add it to Internet Explorer using a convenient Expression, that runs only once per element, so there won't be any performance issues:
The solution with :before
and expression()
for Internet Explorer: http://jsfiddle.net/kizu/4RPFa/4571/
.frame { height: 25px; /* Equals maximum image height */ width: 160px; border: 1px solid red; white-space: nowrap; text-align: center; margin: 1em 0; } .frame:before, .frame_before { content: ""; display: inline-block; height: 100%; vertical-align: middle; } img { background: #3A6F9A; vertical-align: middle; max-height: 25px; max-width: 160px; } /* Move this to conditional comments */ .frame { list-style:none; behavior: expression( function(t){ t.insertAdjacentHTML('afterBegin','<span class="frame_before"></span>'); t.runtimeStyle.behavior = 'none'; }(this) ); }
<div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=250px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=25px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=23px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=21px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=19px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=17px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=15px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=13px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=11px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=9px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=7px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=5px /></div> <div class="frame"><img src="http://jsfiddle.net/img/logo.png" height=3px /></div>
How it works:
When you have two
inline-block
elements near each other, you can align each to other's side, so withvertical-align: middle
you'll get something like this:When you have a block with fixed height (in
px
,em
or another absolute unit), you can set the height of inner blocks in%
.- So, adding one
inline-block
withheight: 100%
in a block with fixed height would align anotherinline-block
element in it (<img/>
in your case) vertically near it.