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padding-inline : Inline Padding Shorthand Property

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Summary

The padding-inline property is a logical shorthand for setting both padding-inline-start and padding-inline-end of an element in PDF documents. This property adapts to the writing direction, making it ideal for creating internationalized documents that work in both LTR and RTL languages.

Usage 

selector {
    padding-inline: value;
}

The padding-inline property accepts 1-2 space-separated values with the following behavior:

  • 1 value: Applies to both inline-start and inline-end
  • 2 values: First value for inline-start, second for inline-end

Supported Values

Length Units

  • Points: 10pt, 15pt, 20pt
  • Pixels: 10px, 15px, 20px
  • Inches: 0.5in, 1in
  • Centimeters: 2cm, 3cm
  • Millimeters: 10mm, 20mm
  • Ems: 1em, 1.5em, 2em
  • Percentage: 5%, 10%, 15% (relative to parent width)

Special Values

  • 0 - No inline padding

Supported Elements

The padding-inline property can be applied to:

  • Block elements (<div>, <section>, <article>)
  • Inline-block elements
  • Paragraphs (<p>)
  • Headings (<h1> through <h6>)
  • Table cells (<td>, <th>)
  • Lists (<ul>, <ol>)
  • All container elements

Notes

  • This is a logical shorthand property that adapts to text direction
  • In LTR contexts, it controls left and right padding
  • In RTL contexts, it controls right and left padding
  • Provides semantic clarity for horizontal padding
  • Useful for creating bidirectional layouts
  • Padding inherits the element’s background color
  • Simplifies maintenance of internationalized documents
  • Percentage values are relative to parent width

Data Binding

The padding-inline property supports dynamic values through data binding, enabling you to create direction-aware, flexible horizontal internal spacing that adapts to layout requirements and internationalization needs.

Example 1: Dynamic card padding based on content type 

<style>
    .card {
        padding-inline: ;
        padding-block: ;
        background-color: ;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 15pt;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="card">
        <h3></h3>
        <p></p>
    </div>
</body>

Data context:

{
    "card": {
        "type": "featured",
        "title": "Featured Content",
        "content": "This card gets extra padding for emphasis"
    }
}

Example 2: Responsive invoice layout with data-driven padding 

<style>
    .invoice {
        padding-inline: pt;
        padding-block: 30pt;
    }
    .invoice-section {
        padding-inline: pt;
        padding-block: 20pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 20pt;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="invoice">
        <div class="invoice-section">
            <h3>Bill To: </h3>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

Data context:

{
    "layout": {
        "pageInset": 40,
        "sectionInset": 25
    },
    "customer": {
        "name": "Acme Corporation"
    }
}

Example 3: Form fields with variable padding 

<style>
    .form-group {
        padding-inline: ;
        padding-block: ;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 15pt;
    }
    .form-input {
        padding-inline: ;
        padding-block: ;
        border: 1pt solid #d1d5db;
        width: 100%;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="form-group">
        <label>Email</label>
        <input class="form-input" type="email" />
    </div>
</body>

Data context:

{
    "form": {
        "size": "large"
    }
}

Examples

Example 1: Uniform inline padding 

<style>
    .box {
        padding-inline: 20pt;
        padding-block: 15pt;
        background-color: #dbeafe;
        border: 2pt solid #3b82f6;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="box">
        <p style="margin: 0;">Box with 20pt padding on both inline sides.</p>
    </div>
</body>

Example 2: Asymmetric inline padding 

<style>
    .box {
        padding-inline: 30pt 15pt;
        padding-block: 15pt;
        background-color: #dcfce7;
        border-inline-start: 4pt solid #16a34a;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="box">
        <p style="margin: 0;">30pt inline-start, 15pt inline-end padding.</p>
    </div>
</body>

Example 3: Card with inline padding 

<style>
    .card {
        padding-inline: 25pt;
        padding-block: 20pt;
        background-color: white;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 15pt;
    }
    .card-header {
        margin: -20pt -25pt 15pt -25pt;
        padding-inline: 25pt;
        padding-block: 15pt;
        background-color: #f3f4f6;
        border-bottom: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="card">
        <div class="card-header">
            <h3 style="margin: 0;">Card Title</h3>
        </div>
        <p style="margin: 0;">Card content with inline padding.</p>
    </div>
</body>

Example 4: Alert with inline padding 

<style>
    .alert {
        padding-inline: 15pt;
        padding-block: 12pt;
        background-color: #fef3c7;
        border-inline-start: 4pt solid #f59e0b;
        margin-bottom: 10pt;
    }
    .alert-icon {
        padding-inline: 50pt 15pt;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="alert alert-icon">
        <strong>Warning:</strong> Important notification message.
    </div>
</body>

Example 5: Form with inline padding 

<style>
    .form-group {
        padding-inline: 20pt;
        padding-block: 15pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 15pt;
    }
    .form-input {
        padding-inline: 12pt;
        padding-block: 10pt;
        border: 1pt solid #d1d5db;
        width: 100%;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="form-group">
        <label style="display: block; margin-bottom: 5pt; font-weight: bold;">Email</label>
        <input class="form-input" type="email" />
    </div>
</body>

Example 6: Invoice with inline padding 

<style>
    .invoice {
        padding-inline: 40pt;
        padding-block: 30pt;
    }
    .invoice-header {
        padding-inline: 30pt;
        padding-block: 25pt;
        background-color: #1e3a8a;
        color: white;
        text-align: center;
        margin-inline: -40pt;
        margin-block-start: -30pt;
        margin-block-end: 30pt;
    }
    .invoice-section {
        padding-inline: 25pt;
        padding-block: 20pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 20pt;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="invoice">
        <div class="invoice-header">
            <h1 style="margin: 0;">INVOICE</h1>
        </div>
        <div class="invoice-section">
            <h3 style="margin: 0 0 10pt 0;">Bill To</h3>
            <p style="margin: 0;">Acme Corporation</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

Example 7: Table with inline padding 

<style>
    .data-table {
        width: 100%;
        border-collapse: collapse;
    }
    .data-table th,
    .data-table td {
        padding-inline: 15pt;
        padding-block: 10pt;
        border: 1pt solid #d1d5db;
        text-align: start;
    }
    .data-table th {
        background-color: #1f2937;
        color: white;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <table class="data-table">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Product</th>
                <th>Price</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td>Widget</td>
                <td>$29.99</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>
</body>

Example 8: Quote block with inline padding 

<style>
    .quote-block {
        padding-inline: 35pt 25pt;
        padding-block: 20pt;
        background-color: #f5f5f5;
        border-inline-start: 6pt solid #6366f1;
        font-style: italic;
        margin: 20pt 0;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="quote-block">
        <p style="margin: 0;">"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."</p>
        <p style="margin: 10pt 0 0 0; font-size: 11pt; color: #6b7280; text-align: end;">— Oscar Wilde</p>
    </div>
</body>

Example 9: Product catalog with inline padding 

<style>
    .catalog {
        padding-inline: 30pt;
        padding-block: 25pt;
    }
    .product {
        padding-inline: 25pt;
        padding-block: 20pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 20pt;
    }
    .product-name {
        margin: 0 0 10pt 0;
        font-size: 16pt;
        font-weight: bold;
    }
    .product-price {
        margin: 0;
        padding-inline: 15pt;
        padding-block: 8pt;
        background-color: #dcfce7;
        color: #16a34a;
        font-size: 18pt;
        font-weight: bold;
        display: inline-block;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="catalog">
        <div class="product">
            <h3 class="product-name">Premium Widget</h3>
            <div class="product-price">$99.99</div>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

Example 10: Newsletter with inline padding 

<style>
    .newsletter {
        padding-inline: 35pt;
        padding-block: 30pt;
    }
    .newsletter-header {
        padding-inline: 30pt;
        padding-block: 25pt;
        background-color: #1e40af;
        color: white;
        text-align: center;
        margin-inline: -35pt;
        margin-block-start: -30pt;
        margin-block-end: 30pt;
    }
    .newsletter-section {
        padding-inline: 25pt;
        padding-block: 20pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        margin-bottom: 20pt;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="newsletter">
        <div class="newsletter-header">
            <h1 style="margin: 0;">Monthly Newsletter</h1>
        </div>
        <div class="newsletter-section">
            <h2 style="margin: 0 0 10pt 0;">Feature Story</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0;">Article content here.</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

Example 11: Receipt with inline padding 

<style>
    .receipt {
        width: 300pt;
        margin: 40pt auto;
        border: 2pt solid #000;
    }
    .receipt-header {
        padding-inline: 20pt;
        padding-block: 20pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        text-align: center;
        border-bottom: 2pt solid #000;
    }
    .receipt-item {
        padding-inline: 25pt 20pt;
        padding-block: 10pt;
        border-bottom: 1pt dashed #d1d5db;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="receipt">
        <div class="receipt-header">
            <h2 style="margin: 0;">Store Name</h2>
        </div>
        <div class="receipt-item">Item 1: $19.99</div>
        <div class="receipt-item">Item 2: $29.99</div>
    </div>
</body>

Example 12: Report with inline padding 

<style>
    .report {
        padding-inline: 45pt;
        padding-block: 40pt;
    }
    .report-title {
        margin: 0 0 30pt 0;
        font-size: 24pt;
        text-align: center;
    }
    .report-section {
        padding-inline: 30pt;
        padding-block: 25pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
        border-inline-start: 5pt solid #2563eb;
        margin-bottom: 25pt;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="report">
        <h1 class="report-title">Annual Report 2025</h1>
        <div class="report-section">
            <h2 style="margin: 0 0 15pt 0;">Executive Summary</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0;">Key findings and recommendations.</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

Example 13: Business card with inline padding 

<style>
    .business-card {
        width: 350pt;
        height: 200pt;
        padding-inline: 30pt;
        padding-block: 25pt;
        border: 3pt solid #1e3a8a;
    }
    .card-content {
        padding-inline: 20pt;
        padding-block: 15pt;
        background-color: #f9fafb;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="business-card">
        <div class="card-content">
            <h2 style="margin: 0 0 8pt 0; color: #1e3a8a;">Robert Taylor</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0;">Chief Executive Officer</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

Example 14: Certificate with inline padding 

<style>
    .certificate {
        width: 500pt;
        margin: 50pt auto;
        border: 5pt double #1e3a8a;
    }
    .cert-content {
        padding-inline: 50pt;
        padding-block: 50pt;
        text-align: center;
    }
    .cert-title {
        margin: 0 0 30pt 0;
        font-size: 28pt;
        font-weight: bold;
        color: #1e3a8a;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="certificate">
        <div class="cert-content">
            <h1 class="cert-title">Certificate of Achievement</h1>
            <p style="margin: 0;">Awarded to Jennifer Wilson</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

Example 15: Section with inline padding 

<style>
    .content-section {
        padding-inline: 40pt 30pt;
        padding-block: 30pt;
        background-color: white;
        border: 1pt solid #e5e7eb;
        margin-bottom: 20pt;
    }
    .section-heading {
        margin: 0 0 20pt 0;
        padding-block-end: 10pt;
        border-block-end: 2pt solid #e5e7eb;
        font-size: 20pt;
    }
</style>
<body>
    <div class="content-section">
        <h2 class="section-heading">Section Title</h2>
        <p style="margin: 0;">Content with proper inline padding for optimal layout.</p>
    </div>
</body>

See Also