---
id: css-image-shapes
title: "CSS Image Shapes"
category: "Frontend"
status: "draft"
verification_status: "conceptual"
canonical_id: ""
aliases: ["clip-path", "shape-outside", "image clipping", "circle() clip", "polygon() clip", "ellipse() clip"]
duplicate_of: ""
source_trust_level: "B"
confidence_score: 0.88
created_at: 2026-06-23
updated_at: 2026-06-23
review_reason: ""
merge_history: []
tags: ["css", "web", "frontend", "w3schools", "clip-path", "shape-outside", "images"]
raw_sources: ["https://www.w3schools.com/css/css3_image_shapes.asp"]
applied_in: []
github_commit: ""
---

# [[CSS Image Shapes]]

## 🎯 한 줄 통찰 (One-line insight)
With CSS it is easy to shape (clip) images to circles, ellipses, and polygons using the `clip-path` property, while `shape-outside` lets inline content wrap around the shaped image. [S1]

## 🧠 핵심 개념 (Core concepts)
- **`clip-path`** — lets you clip an element to a basic shape or to an SVG source. [S1]
- **`shape-outside`** — lets you define a shape for the wrapping of the inline content. [S1]
- **`circle()`** — defines a circle with a radius and a position. [S1]
- **`ellipse()`** — defines an ellipse with two radii, x and y. [S1]
- **`polygon()`** — defines a polygon. [S1]

## 🧩 추출된 패턴 (Extracted patterns)
- **Clip to a basic shape** — apply a shape function (`circle()`, `ellipse()`, `polygon()`) as the value of `clip-path` on an image. [S1]
- **Reposition the clip** — use the `at` keyword inside a shape function (e.g. `circle(50% at right)`) to move the clip's center. [S1]
- **Wrap text around a shape** — combine `float` with `clip-path` (visual clip) and `shape-outside` (the wrap geometry) so inline content flows around the shaped image. [S1]

## 📖 세부 내용 (Details)
**Shaping images** — With CSS it is easy to shape (clip) images to circles, ellipses and polygons. [S1]

**Circle with `clip-path`** [S1]
```css
img {
  clip-path: circle(50%);
}
```

**Circle positioned to the right** — the `at` keyword positions the circle. [S1]
```css
img {
  clip-path: circle(50% at right);
}
```

**Circle with `shape-outside`** — the `shape-outside` property lets you define a shape for the wrapping of the inline content. [S1]
```css
img {
  float: left;
  clip-path: circle(40%);
  shape-outside: circle(45%);
}
```

**Ellipse with `clip-path`** — the `ellipse()` function defines an ellipse with two radii x and y. [S1]
```css
img {
  clip-path: ellipse(50% 35%);
}
```

**Ellipse positioned to the right** [S1]
```css
img {
  clip-path: ellipse(50% 35% at right);
}
```

**Ellipse with `shape-outside`** [S1]
```css
img {
  float: left;
  clip-path: ellipse(40% 50%);
  shape-outside: ellipse(45% 50%);
}
```

**Polygon with `clip-path`** — the `polygon()` function defines a polygon. [S1]
```css
img {
  clip-path: polygon(50% 0%, 100% 50%, 50% 100%, 0% 50%);
}
```

**Properties and functions reference** [S1]

| Property / Function | Description |
|---|---|
| `clip-path` | Lets you clip an element to a basic shape or to an SVG source |
| `shape-outside` | Lets you define a shape for the wrapping of the inline content |
| `circle()` | Defines a circle with a radius and a position |
| `ellipse()` | Defines an ellipse with two radii x and y |
| `polygon()` | Defines a polygon |

## 🛠️ 적용 사례 (Applied in summary)
The page's own examples are the applied cases: circular/elliptical/polygonal image clips, and text-wrapping layouts where a floated image uses `shape-outside`. No external project/commit applications found in the source.

## 💻 코드 패턴 (Code patterns)
Clip an image to a centered circle (language: CSS):
```css
img {
  clip-path: circle(50%);
}
```
Wrap inline text around a circular image (language: CSS):
```css
img {
  float: left;
  clip-path: circle(40%);
  shape-outside: circle(45%);
}
```

## ⚖️ 모순 및 업데이트 (Contradictions & updates)
No contradictions found in the source.

## ✅ 검증 상태 및 신뢰도
- **상태:** draft
- **검증 단계:** conceptual (실제 적용 사례 발견 시 applied/validated로 승격 가능)
- **출처 신뢰도:** B (W3Schools — widely used educational reference, not a primary standards body)
- **신뢰 점수:** 0.88
- **중복 검사 결과:** 신규 생성 (New discovery)

## 🔗 지식 그래프 (Knowledge Graph)
- **상위/루트:** [[CSS Tutorial]]
- **관련 개념:** [[CSS Object Fit]], [[CSS Masking PNG]], [[CSS Borders]]
- **참조 맥락:** Referenced when cropping images to non-rectangular shapes or wrapping text around floated images.

## 📚 출처 (Sources)
- [S1] W3Schools — CSS Image Shapes — https://www.w3schools.com/css/css3_image_shapes.asp

## 📝 변경 이력 (Change history)
- 2026-06-23: Initial draft synthesized from the W3Schools "CSS Image Shapes" page (Astra wiki-curation, P-Reinforce v3.1 format).
