Text with image background in svg or css

Question

Is it possible to have background for text in svg or css? it means , every character have background? here is the example:

I have made this in photoshop and made a mask, i just wonder i it is possible in svg or css?

Answer 1

Here is an example using a pattern. It uses <tspan> elements with patterned fill to show you how this may be done on a per-character basis, if desired:

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/xWNR3/2/

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:x="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
  <style>
    svg  { background:#ddd }
    text {
      font-family:Verdana; font-size:160pt; font-weight:bold;
      stroke:#000;
    }
  </style>
  <defs>
    <pattern id="p1" patternUnits="userSpaceOnUse" width="32" height="32">
      <image x:href="alphaball.png" width="32" height="32" />
    </pattern>
    <pattern id="p2" patternUnits="userSpaceOnUse" width="10" height="10">
      <image x:href="grid.gif" width="10" height="10" />
    </pattern>
  </defs>
  <text x="20" y="170" fill="url(#p1)">
    Hello
    <tspan x="20" y="350"
           fill="url(#p2)">Wo<tspan fill="url(#p1)">r</tspan>ld</tspan>
  </text>
</svg>

Answer 2

You can use a mask or a clipPath to do this too, in addition to the way with patterns as in the answers robertc suggested.

Here's an example from the svg testsuite using clipPath.