The core of creating typewriter effects using CSS is to control the width of the element and hide overflow content through animation, combine overflow: hidden and border-right as the cursor, white-space: nowrap to maintain single lines, and animation to achieve typing and cursor flashing effects; 2. Key customization points include adjusting animation-duration to match the text length, using the steps() function to set the number of steps (usually equal to the number of characters), selecting monolithic font enhancement effects, and customizing the cursor style; 3. It is recommended to set width: fit-content and max-width: 100% in responsive design to adapt to different screens; 4. This method is only applicable to single-line text, animation requires manual parameters, and long text is recommended to use JavaScript instead. This solution requires no JavaScript, is compatible with modern browsers, has good performance and is simple to implement.
Creating a typewriter effect with CSS is a simple and effective way to add a dynamic, retro feel to your text — all without JavaScript. This effect simulates text being typed out character by character, usually with a blinking cursor. Here's how to do it:
1. Use animation with width and overflow
The core idea is to gradually reveal the text by animating the width of an element while hiding the overflow. This gives the illusion that the text is being typed in real time.
HTML:
<h1 class="typewriter">Hello, world!</h1>
CSS:
.typewriter {
/* Set up the container */
overflow: hidden; /* Prevents text from overflowing */
border-right: 0.15em solid black; /* The typewriter cursor */
white-space: nowrap; /* Keeps text on a single line */
margin: 0 auto; /* Center the text */
letter-spacing: 0.15em; /* Optional: adds spacing between characters */
animation:
typing 3.5s steps(30, end) forwards, /* Typing animation */
blink-caret 0.75s step-end infinite; /* Blinking cursor */
}
/* Simulate typing: expand width from 0 to full */
@keyframes typing {
from { width: 0 }
to { width: 100% }
}
/* Blinking cursor animation */
@keyframes blink-caret {
from, to { border-color: transparent }
50% { border-color: black }
}2. Key Points to Customize
- Animation duration : Adjust
3.5sintypingto match the length of your text. Longer text may need longer duration. - Steps() function : The
steps(30, end)breaks the animation into 30 discrete steps — roughly one per character. You can tweak this number based on your text length. - Font and size : The effect works with any font, but monospace fonts (like
Courier) enhance the typewriter feel. - Cursor style : Change
border-rightcolor, width, or even use::afterfor a custom caret.
Optional: Monospace font
.typewriter {
font-family: 'Courier New', monospace;
}3. Make it Responsive (Optional)
If you're using this on different screen sizes, you might want to set a fixed width or use max-width to avoid issues with width: 100% on flexible containers.
.typewriter {
width: fit-content;
max-width: 100%;
animation: typing 3.5s steps(30, end) forwards,
blink-caret 0.75s step-end infinite;
}4. Limitations
- Only works well with single-line text (due to
white-space: nowrap). - Animation timing needs manual adjustment for different text lengths.
- Not ideal for long paragraphs — consider JavaScript for more control.
That's it. With just a few CSS lines, you get a clean, performant typewriter effect. No JavaScript needed, and it works across modern browsers.
The above is the detailed content of How to create a typewriter effect with CSS?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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