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Prefer shrinking over growing in a flex container with flex-flow: row wrap

Tags:

css

flexbox

image-gallery

Displaying an image gallery of different sized images and ratio with the following specs:

  1. No blanks (margins) between images.
  2. Respecting the original ratio as much as possible.
  3. Images surrounded by a link.
  4. Non-JS solution.
  5. Images could be cropped a bit.
  6. Portable solution.
  7. Set of images displayed is random.
  8. Images must be displayed from left to right (prevents using columns).

I achieved that with the following flexbox solution:

section {
  display: flex;
  flex-flow: row wrap;
  justify-content: center;
}
section a {
  flex: auto;
}
section img {
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
  object-fit: cover;
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <title>Controlling flex growability</title>
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
    <style>

    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <section>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/195" width="400" height="195" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/256/400" width="256" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/237" width="400" height="237" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/111" width="400" height="111" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/245" width="400" height="245" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/250/400" width="250" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/269" width="400" height="269" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/288/400" width="288" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/234/400" width="234" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/194/400" width="194" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/222/400" width="222" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/192/400" width="192" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/141" width="400" height="141" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/289" width="400" height="289" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/210/400" width="210" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/187" width="400" height="187" alt="Kitty"></a>
    </section>
</body>
</html>

The solution works, but depending on the size of the window, some pictures are enlarged way too much, I would prefer more elements per row, even if the items needs to be shrinked more.

This means that instead of: Current solution

I would prefer a higher density of items so that images never gets enlarged: Example of expected layout

I looked for solutions to increase globally the number of elements per row so that images does not get enlarged (or at least not too much: for example: 10% max).

The two hackish solutions I have found so far are:

Solution 1

Using the zoom property:

section {
  display: flex;
  flex-flow: row wrap;
  justify-content: center;
  zoom: 50%;
}
section a {
  flex: auto;
}
section img {
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
  object-fit: cover;
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <title>Controlling flex growability</title>
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
    <style>

    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <section>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/195" width="400" height="195" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/256/400" width="256" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/237" width="400" height="237" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/111" width="400" height="111" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/245" width="400" height="245" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/250/400" width="250" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/269" width="400" height="269" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/288/400" width="288" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/234/400" width="234" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/194/400" width="194" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/222/400" width="222" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/192/400" width="192" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/141" width="400" height="141" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/289" width="400" height="289" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/210/400" width="210" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/187" width="400" height="187" alt="Kitty"></a>
    </section>
</body>
</html>

But that property works great in Chrome, not in Firefox.

Solution 2

Emulating the zoom property with width/height and transform: scale:

section {
  display: flex;
  flex-flow: row wrap;
  justify-content: center;
  width: 200% !important;
  height: 200% !important;
  transform-origin: 0 0;
  transform: scale(0.5);
  float: left;
  margin-right: -100000px;
  margin-bottom: -100000px;
}
section a {
  flex: auto;
}
section img {
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
  object-fit: cover;
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <title>Controlling flex growability</title>
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
    <style>

    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <section>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/195" width="400" height="195" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/256/400" width="256" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/237" width="400" height="237" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/111" width="400" height="111" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/245" width="400" height="245" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/250/400" width="250" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/269" width="400" height="269" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/288/400" width="288" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/234/400" width="234" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/194/400" width="194" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/222/400" width="222" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/192/400" width="192" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/141" width="400" height="141" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/289" width="400" height="289" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/210/400" width="210" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
        <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/187" width="400" height="187" alt="Kitty"></a>
    </section>
</body>
</html>

That solution worked so far, but requires a few hacks, and is far from being elegant and now will have impacts with the other elements of the page.

Is there any other solution, more flexgrid-oriented that permits that kind of control? I have tried using flex-grow: 0: it, indeed, disables growing items, but then there are blanks around images everywhere.

like image 718
Patrick Allaert Avatar asked Feb 01 '20 13:02

Patrick Allaert

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1 Answers

I modify your starting attempt.

Main idea is to change img width: 100%; to width: auto; and specify links' height. This will give us images with gaps.

To remove the gaps we could add to links display: flex; and flex-direction: column;. Almost done.

Last step is to add to links max-width: 100%;, it will protect from ovelflow if image width will be wider than column in small screen. Such problem we could see in Temani Afif's first solution with 4th image, if we put higher height of links. Edited

Look into snippet.

section {
  display: flex;
  flex-flow: row wrap;
  justify-content: center;
}

section a {
  flex: auto;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  height: 166px;
  max-width: 100%;
}

section img {
  height: 100%;
  width: auto;
  object-fit: cover;
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
  <title>Controlling flex growability</title>
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
  <style>

  </style>
</head>

<body>
  <section>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/195" width="400" height="195" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/256/400" width="256" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/237" width="400" height="237" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/111" width="400" height="111" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/245" width="400" height="245" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/250/400" width="250" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/269" width="400" height="269" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/288/400" width="288" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/234/400" width="234" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/194/400" width="194" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/222/400" width="222" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/227" width="400" height="227" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/192/400" width="192" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/141" width="400" height="141" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/289" width="400" height="289" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/255" width="400" height="255" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/210/400" width="210" height="400" alt="Kitty"></a>
    <a href="#"><img src="https://placekitten.com/400/187" width="400" height="187" alt="Kitty"></a>
  </section>
</body>

</html>
like image 64
Aleksandr Belugin Avatar answered Oct 18 '22 00:10

Aleksandr Belugin
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