Padding on Inline Elements: Effects and Limitations

According to the source, adding padding to the top and bottom of inline elements does not affect the spacing of surrounding elements. However, the statement "padding will overlap other inline elements" suggests there may be specific circumstances where padding does have an impact.

Understanding Overlapping Padding

Padding primarily affects the element it is applied to, increasing its vertical borders. In normal circumstances, this does not result in any overlap with neighboring inline elements as they can flow around the padded element. However, if the surrounding elements are also inline elements, their inherent spacing may be altered.

For example, consider two adjacent inline elements with default spacing. If you apply top and bottom padding to one of them, the padding will extend beyond its borders, potentially causing the padded element to overlap the other element. This can visually affect the layout of the page, as the elements may appear crowded or misaligned.

Using Inline-Block to Resolve Padding Conflicts

To avoid padding conflicts with inline elements, you can use the display: inline-block property. This allows you to control the vertical alignment of the element and prevent overlap with neighboring elements.

To use inline-block, apply the following properties to the element:

display: inline-block;
display: -moz-inline-box;
-moz-box-orient: vertical;
vertical-align: top;
zoom: 1;
*display: inline;

These properties ensure that the padded element behaves like a block-level element without breaking the flow of inline content around it. This keeps the padding from overlapping neighboring elements, maintaining the desired layout and appearance.