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by Tommy Olsson and Paul O’Brien

orphans (CSS property)

Browser support full matrix
IE7 FF2 Saf3 Op9.2+
None None None Full
Spec
Inherited Initial Version
Yes CSS2

Example

This style rule ensures that at least three lines of text display at the bottom of the page when a page break occurs inside a paragraph:

p {
  orphans: 3;
}

Description

Orphans are the lines of text that remain on the previous page when an element is split over two pages. It’s usually undesirable to display only the first line of a paragraph at the bottom of a page. This property allows the designer to specify the minimum number of lines that must display at the bottom of a page.

Value

An integer value specifies the minimum number of lines that must display at the bottom of a page when a page break occurs inside an element.

Negative values are illegal.

Compatibility

IE5.5None
6.0None
7.0None
Firefox1.0None
1.5None
2.0None
Safari1.3None
2.0None
3.0None
Opera9.2Full
9.5Full

Internet Explorer for Windows versions up to and including 7 don’t support this property.

Firefox versions up to and including 2 don’t support this property.

Safari versions up to and including 3 don’t support this property.

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