Maintaining Aspect Ratio with 100% Width or Height in CSS

When using CSS, we often need to set the width or height of images to 100%. However, doing so can result in the image becoming distorted. This occurs because the aspect ratio (the proportional relationship between the image's width and height) is not being maintained.

To preserve the aspect ratio while using 100% width or height, we need to constrain the image's size in a specific way. If we define only one dimension (width or height) on an image, the aspect ratio is automatically preserved.

However, if we set both the width and height to 100%, the image may become too large for our intended space. In this case, we can place the image inside a DIV with a maximum width or height that fits our needs. We can then use the overflow:hidden property to crop any portion of the image that extends beyond the specified dimensions.

Alternatively, we can use the max-width and max-height properties to control the maximum size of the image. By setting these values without defining any minimum dimensions, we ensure that the image will not distort and will not exceed the specified maximum dimensions.