Introduction:
Centering elements in CSS has always been a challenge for web developers. Whether you’re working on a simple layout or a complex design, achieving perfect vertical and horizontal centering can enhance the visual appeal of your website. In this post, we’ll explore five effective ways to center a div both vertically and horizontally using CSS. These methods will help you master centering techniques and improve your web development skills.

1. Using Flexbox

Flexbox is a powerful layout module that makes it easy to align and distribute space among items in a container.
CSS:

.parent {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  height: 100vh; /* Full viewport height */
}

HTML:

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child">Center me</div>
</div>

Explanation: By setting display: flex on the parent container and using justify-content: center and align-items: center, the child element is centered both vertically and horizontally.

2. Using CSS Grid

CSS Grid is another layout module that offers a flexible way to create complex layouts with ease.
CSS:

.parent {
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
  height: 100vh; /* Full viewport height */
}

HTML:

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child">Center me</div>
</div>

Explanation: The place-items: center property of CSS Grid centers the child element both vertically and horizontally within the parent container.

3. Using Positioning and Transforms

For precise control, you can use CSS positioning and transforms.

CSS:

.parent {
  position: relative;
  height: 100vh; /* Full viewport height */
}

.child {
  position: absolute;
  top: 50%;
  left: 50%;
  transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
}

HTML:

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child">Center me</div>
</div>

Explanation: By positioning the child element at top: 50% and left: 50% and then using transform: translate(-50%, -50%), the element is perfectly centered.

4. Using Table Display

Using display: table and display: table-cell can also achieve centering.

CSS:

.parent {
  display: table;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100vh; /* Full viewport height */
}

.child {
  display: table-cell;
  vertical-align: middle;
  text-align: center;
}

HTML:

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child">Center me</div>
</div>

Explanation: By setting the parent as a table and the child as a table-cell, vertical and horizontal centering can be achieved using vertical-align: middle and text-align: center.

5. Using Flexbox with Column Layout

Flexbox can also be used with a column layout to achieve centering.

CSS:

.parent {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  height: 100vh; /* Full viewport height */
}

HTML:

<div class="parent">
  <div class="child">Center me</div>
</div>

Explanation: Setting the parent container to flex-direction: column and using justify-content: center and align-items: center centers the child element within the column layout.

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