This article will show you how to create fancy buttons using CSS sliding doors technique. It is much better to use this technique than to use image buttons because you can apply the style to any link and at the same time you don't have to create an image for each button. I posted this one on Morning Break weblog but due to its popularity I decided to publish it here.

What is sliding doors technique?

The technique is very simple. If we want to have a dynamic-width button, we have to find a way to stretch it horizontally. We will accomplish this if we create two background images that will define the button: one for the left side and one for the right side - like in the example below.

  LEFT                                                                                                           RIGHT

Smaller, right image will slide on the top of the larger, left image (that why it is called sliding doors). The more right image slides to the left, the narrower button will be and vice versa. The image below shows the technique.

Styling the button

First, let's take a look at the HTML elements that will simulate button. We have <span> element within the <a> element. Span element contains left, wider image and text. The width of the text will determine the size of the button.

<a class="button" href="#"><span>Submit</span></a> 

Now let's take a look at the CSS code. We have a .button class that will be applied to <a> element and .button span class that will be applied to <span> element within <a> element. We also have .button:hover span that will change the font style within <span> element.  And that's all. Simple, eh? The comments in the code below describes each element.

a.button {
    /* Sliding right image */
    background: transparent url('button_right.png') no-repeat scroll top right; 
    display: block;
    float: left;
    height: 32px; /* CHANGE THIS VALUE ACCORDING TO IMAGE HEIGHT */
    margin-right: 6px;
    padding-right: 20px; /* CHENGE THIS VALUE ACCORDING TO RIGHT IMAGE WIDTH */
    /* FONT PROPERTIES */
    text-decoration: none;
    color: #000000;
    font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
    font-size:12px;
    font-weight:bold;
}

a.button span {
    /* Background left image */ 
    background: transparent url('button_left.png') no-repeat; 
    display: block;
    line-height: 22px; /* CHANGE THIS VALUE ACCORDING TO BUTTONG HEIGHT */
    padding: 7px 0 5px 18px;
} 

a.button:hover span{
    text-decoration:underline;
}

The result will look like the examples below.

UPDATE 14.05.2008: You can see it "in action" on example page.

I've made a few more designs that you can use with the CSS code above. Each design consist of two images, like in our example. Enjoy!