May 30, 2025

Gap Decorations Start Dev Trials

By Tech Editor | May 30, 2025

The Microsoft Edge Layout team today announced the official launch of developer trials for the highly anticipated Gap Decorations Module. This early access program empowers front-end engineers to experiment with powerful new properties—column-rule, row-rule, and gap-rule-paint-order—to style gaps in grid, flex, and multicol containers without relying on additional markup or pseudo-elements. In these trials, participants can test row-rule support in multicol layouts, leverage column-wrap to achieve sophisticated magazine-style flows, and fine-tune separator styles across responsive breakpoints. Feedback from this dev trial will shape the specification and guide future enhancements, ensuring GapDecorations integrates seamlessly into existing design systems and workflows. Interested developers start using the new feature by using any Chromium-based browser with the experimental flag enabled: --blink-enable-features=GapDecoration. Web developers are encouraged to provide feedback and report bugs to make sure your voice is heard in shaping this game-changing CSS module.

Magazine Layout Patterns Evolve

By Design Lead | May 30, 2025

Modern web magazines are adopting gap decorations to create rich, visually engaging layouts without additional markup or pseudo-elements. Designers now have granular control over rule thickness, style, and layering order, enabling elegant column and row separators. Combined with responsive grid and flex layouts, these capabilities reduce reliance on images or hacky borders, resulting in lighter, more maintainable codebases while preserving creative freedom and typographic harmony.

Browser Support Expands

By Web Standards | May 28, 2025

All Chromium-based browsers will support CSSGapDecorations, with support from other browsers expected to follow. This consensus ensures authors can safely adopt gap decorations in production, delivering consistent visual experiences across platforms. Developers are encouraged to experiment with combinations of column-rule, row-rule, and paint-order options to craft unique layouts that were previously only achievable with complex workarounds.