You want a Typewriter effect for your text but you are lost within all the variations that use JS and the ones that use a complex CSS code.
Search no more! Here is a simple typewriter effect with only a few lines of CSS where you don't need to deal with any complex code. It's scalable and works with any kind of text.
See it in play:
How does it work?
The logic is pretty simple and relies on a basic HTML code:
<span class="type"><span>CSS typewriter</span></span>
You put the text within two <span> and you are done. You don't need to deal with pseudo-element, duplicated texts, data-attribute, etc.
The CSS now:
.type {
display:inline-flex;
}
.type span {
word-break: break-all;
height: 1.2em;
width:0%;
overflow: hidden;
animation:t 2s linear infinite alternate;
}
.type span:before {
content:" ";
display:inline-block;
}
@keyframes t{
90%,100% {width:100%}
}
No, I forget nothing. This is all the CSS needed for the typewriter effect.
3 tricks are used to achieve the final result:
1) cyclic percentage size
This is a powerful CSS quirk to calculate the width (or the height) of elements. I used a first <span> having display:inline-flex so its size depends on its content (it's an inline level element). The content inside (the other <span>) is using a percentage width so the width is based on its container. We have a cyclic calculation since each element depends on the other!
The Specification details such behavior. I don't recommend reading it because you will get lost (I had to read it 10 times to understand only a few cases).
I will try to use easy words to explain what is happening in our case.
- First the browser will ignore the percentage width to define the width of the container. The child element will have
width:auto. Our first span will have its width equal to the width of its child (so the width of the text). - Then the browser will get back to calculate the width of the child based on the width of the parent found previously BUT the width of the parent will not change again to not fall into an infinite loop.
In other words, the width:X% I am applying to the span is based on its own content that's why we don't need any complex calculation. Animating the element from 0% to 100% is all that we need.
This is what we get:
2) breaking the words
Now let's add word-break: break-all; to the previous code:
We are getting closer. Our text is wrapping letter by letter.
break-allBreaking is allowed within “words” ref
3) fix the height to one line
The final trick is to set the height of the element to be equal to one line. By default, the height of a line is around 1.2xfont-size that's why I using 1.2em. You have to adjust this value based on your case or based on the value of line-height (it should be equal to line-height)
That's it! we have our typewriter effect.
Wait, there is an issue with the first letter!
Yes, good catch. That's why in the initial code I am adding:
.type span:before {
content:" ";
display:inline-block;
}
This will create an invisible first letter that will take the place of the real first letter.
✔️ No Javascript
✔️ A basic HTML code
✔️ No complex CSS code. Less than 10 declarations and no hard-coded values
✔️ Accessible. The text is written within the HTML code (no pseudo-element, no duplicated text)
✔️ You can use any text you want without changing the code.
✔️ Doesn't require monospace fonts
✔️ No browser support issue. All the properties I am using are supported by most of the browsers. We can also remove the use of flexbox: https://codepen.io/t_afif/pen/VwWvmxe
❌ Doesn't support multi-line of text. Well, I need one drawback 😜
What about the caret?
You can easily add one using box-shadow:
What about multiple texts?
The above was only the first part of the "real" typewriter effect I am aiming for.
See it in play:
The HTML code is still a basic one:
I am <span class="type">
<span>
<span>a CSS Hacker</span>
<span>an expert web developer</span>
<span>a lazy person!</span>
</span>
</span>
The CSS:
.type {
display:inline-block;
}
.type > span {
display:grid;
overflow: hidden;
height:1.2em;
}
.type span span {
width:0%;
max-width:max-content;
overflow: hidden;
height:inherit;
word-break:break-all;
animation:
c 0.5s infinite steps(1),
t 2s linear infinite alternate,
m 12s steps(3) infinite;
}
.type span span:before {
content:" ";
display:inline-block;
}
@keyframes t{
90%,100% {width:100%}
}
@keyframes c{
0%,100%{box-shadow:5px 0 0 #0000}
50% {box-shadow:5px 0 0 red }
}
@keyframes m{
100% {transform:translateY(-300%)}
}
The trick is to make all the spans under each other (that's why I used display:grid on their parent container) so that the longest word will define the width of the main element.
Then each span will animate like previously. The only difference is that, with a small transform trick, I will show only one at a time.
If you remove the overflow:hidden from the second span you can see what is happening:
Notice the use of max-width:max-content to limit the caret to the width of the actual text and not the width of the main element.
You can also notice that 3 is used with many values:
- 12s = 3*(2*2s)
- steps(3)
- translateY(-300%) = translateY(3*-100%)
Yes, that value can be a CSS variable. Our code will become scalable and we can easily add as much text as we want:
We have our scalable CSS only Typewriter Effect:
✔️ No Javascript
✔️ A basic HTML code
✔️ No complex CSS code
✔️ Accessible
✔️ Works with any text content
✔️ Can use any font
✔️ Scalable
✔️ No browser support issue
Top comments (20)
Oh so that is why nobody actually said yes to the war, a surprise attack!
Unfortunately (for me) this was going to be my solution so I guess I better come up with something silly or clever as this basically ticks all of the sensible options!
p.s. you can't tick "accessible" without the
prefers-reduced-motionMedia query to switch the blink and animations off and just swap the words out!Love it (oh crap, I can't say that in a war can I....errrmm), sorry I meant I hate it! 🤣
This is my secret "speed-of-light" attack. A HIT in less than 24h!
No one can beat this!
So I am thinking I am going to make this fair despite your trickery, I will start easy and do a HTML only version first! 😉
Does this count?
This is going to be a very short war if you keep taking all the fun ideas! This was essentially my second entry so between you both I am now left with pure HTML and a type…righter (and that will be silly!)
So you have ideas, the rest are excuses 😝
I know a way of doing it in pure HTML, but it requires several files. I'm curious about the type-righter 🤔
The HTML is the same as when I did the video, so yes, multiple files. Type Righter is silly, it may be my entry!
Came here to say this 😂😂
This one is not multiline. That's something you can improve (and hate upon 😋)
hehe, also in fairness your animation is more "typewritery" but as I said this was going to be my come back so now I need to get the thinking cap on!
p.s. are either of you wanting to come to this discord server for article sharing or are neither of you bothered?
Already added this article to the posts section there so hopefully it will get some shares!
I have to admit, I haven't used discord (or maybe I don't remember). Let me reread the post to understand it better, but my door is open to collaborate and learn about the things other people do.
I am a discord virgin too until today, quite easy to get your head around though if you do decide to come along! I will drop you an invite either way, don't worry if you decide not to bother!
Dude that was amazing! Never saw a typewriter effect that doesn't rely on monospace fonts!
I'd add (and very clearly highlight) that to your pros list
✔️ Doesn't require monospace fonts
✔️ Can use any font
on the other hand, monospace probably looks more typewriter-like, but technically this feat is still amazing
This is amazing, great work with all the explaining demos! 👏
Thanks 😊 I am waiting to see your ideas now 😋
This is exactly what I was looking for! Brilliant <3
Did you forget to handle positioning, or is it just me:
add
vertical-align:bottomto them main span to avoid this. It's the baseline alignment that is inconsistent across browser. For the other issue, you have to rectify the height. the 1.2 I used is an approximation that you have to update based on your real font. Each browser/OS has its own default font so the result may not be the same for everyone OR set the line-height equal to height and you won't get the issue.@afif may I call first of all?
You are doing amazing things , using only CSS.
Well done please continue
don't worry, I am not planning to stop 👍