[csswg-drafts] Suggest a different term than "decorative" (#13783)

aardrian has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts:

== Suggest a different term than "decorative" ==
The draft defines "[decorative image](https://www.w3.org/TR/css-image-animation-1/#decorative-image)" as:
> An image inserted into the document rendering by CSS, through such properties as `background-image` or `border-image`. 

I assume this would also include images called via [`content()`](https://www.w3.org/TR/css-content-3/#content-function).

The issue I am raising is that the concept of decorative images already has a meaning [in the context of WCAG](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/non-text-content.html#dfn-pure-decoration):

> **pure decoration**
>    serving only an aesthetic purpose, providing no information, and having no functionality

W3C's [Web Accessibility Initiative provides guidance](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decorative/) and a [decision tree](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/) to help decide if an image is decorative.

Decorative images also have a meaning in the context of CSS, as described in CSS Generated Content Module Level 3's [guidance on alternative text](https://www.w3.org/TR/css-content-3/#alt):
> This allows, for example, purely decorative text to be elided in speech output (by providing the empty string as alternative text), and allows authors to provide more readable alternatives to images, icons, or text-encoded symbols.

My suggestion is that the CSS Image Animation Module WD replace uses of "decorative image" with maybe "CSS-inserted image" or something less clunky than my imagination can propose right now.

This would help keep three W3C specs aligned on the meaning instead of having one with a wholly divergent meaning from at least two other specs.


Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/13783 using your GitHub account


-- 
Sent via github-notify-ml as configured in https://github.com/w3c/github-notify-ml-config

Received on Thursday, 9 April 2026 20:30:37 UTC