CSS: Margin vs Padding

What's the difference between CSS's margin and padding?

• padding is the area inside the border.
• margin is the area outside the border.
• border is between margin and padding. [see CSS: Border]

Padding Syntax

“padding” can have 1 to 4 values, separated by space:

• padding: all_sides
• padding: top_and_bottom left_and_right
• padding: top left_and_right bottom
• padding: top right bottom left

They are shorthands to the following:

• padding-top: value
• padding-right: value
• padding-bottom: value
• padding-left: value

Padding value cannot be negative.

Examples:

div.x468 {padding: 5px}

div.x390
{
padding-top: 5px;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-left: 10px;
padding-right: 10px;
}

Margin

The syntax of margin is same as padding. But margin values can be negative.

Examples:

div.x468 {margin: 5px}

div.x390
{
margin-top: 5px;
margin-bottom: 5px;
margin-left: 10px;
margin-right: 10px;
}