How margin differs from padding
The core difference:
| Property | Where it acts | What it's used for | Painted with background | Affects block size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
padding | inside the element, between content and border | pushes content away from the edge | yes | yes, with content-box it increases the block |
margin | outside the element, past the border | creates distance between elements | no | no, does not affect the inner size |
The key difference:
padding, inner spacing (part of the element)margin, outer spacing (space around the element)
Both create space, but padding is inside, margin is outside.
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