Getting Creative With shape-outside | CSS-Tricks

"Images in long-form content can (and often should) do more than illustrate. They can shape how people navigate, engage with, and interpret what they're reading. They help set the pace, influence how readers feel, and add character that words alone can't always convey. Then, I touched on the expressive possibilities of CSS Shapes and how, by using shape-outside, you can wrap text around an image's alpha channel to add energy to a design and keep it feeling lively."

"Whatever shape its subject takes, every image sits inside a box. By default, text flows above or below that box. If I float an image left or right, the text wraps around the rectangle, regardless of what's inside. That's the limitation shape-outside overcomes. shape-outside lets you break free from those boxes by enabling layouts that can respond to the contours of an image."

"shape-outside lets you break free from those boxes by enabling layouts that can respond to the contours of an image. That shift from images in boxes to letting the image content define the composition is what makes using shape-outside so interesting. Solid blocks of text around straight-edged images can feel static. But text that bends around a guitar or curves around a portrait creates movement, which can make a story more compelling and engaging."

Images in long-form content can shape navigation, engagement, interpretation, pacing, and emotional tone beyond mere illustration. CSS shape-outside enables text to wrap around an image's alpha channel so layouts respond to the image contours instead of fixed rectangles. Breaking the default box constraint introduces movement and personality, helping stories feel more dynamic and memorable. Designers need to consider why to use shape-outside, not just how, to avoid treating it as merely another property. Practical applications include curving text around portraits or instruments to inject energy and guide reader attention.

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