Creating a Typewriter Animation Effect with CSS
Adding a typewriter animation effect to your website can be a great way to add some visual interest and delight your users. While JavaScript is often used to achieve this effect, it’s also possible to create a typewriter animation using only CSS. In this article, we’ll explore how to create a typewriter animation effect using CSS.
Pros and Cons of Using CSS vs. JavaScript
Before we dive into the details of creating a typewriter animation with CSS, let’s consider the pros and cons of using CSS versus JavaScript.
- CSS:
- Simpler and easier to implement
- Uses fewer resources, making it better for performance on low-end devices
- No browser support issues
- JavaScript:
- More control over the animation
- Can be more dynamic and flexible
- Can handle more complex scenarios
Overview of the Typewriter CSS Animation Project
To create a typewriter animation effect, we’ll animate our text so that it displays gradually, with a cursor that types out the text and then continues to blink once it’s done typing. We’ll use CSS @keyframes to create the animation, along with the overflow, white-space, and border-right-color properties.
Setting Up the Project
To get started, create an HTML file with a div container and two paragraphs of text. Each paragraph should have its own class, which we’ll use to style the text and create the animation.
Styling the Webpage
Create a CSS file and add styles for the text, including the font family, color, and background color. We’ll also set the overflow property to hidden and the white-space property to nowrap to prevent unwanted horizontal scrolling and extra whitespace.
Creating the Typewriter Animation with CSS @keyframes and steps()
To create the typewriter animation, we’ll use CSS @keyframes to define the animation. We’ll create two keyframes, one for each line of text, and use the steps() function to specify the number of intervals or steps in the timing function. This will allow us to display the text letter-by-letter.
Adding the Animation to the Text
To apply the animation to the text, we’ll add the animation property to the text classes, along with the animation speed and delay. We’ll also add the infinite value to the animation direction property to make the cursor blink continuously.
Final Result
With the animation complete, you should see a typewriter animation effect where the text is displayed gradually, with a cursor that types out the text and then continues to blink once it’s done typing.
By following these steps, you can create a typewriter animation effect using only CSS, without the need for JavaScript. This effect can add a touch of nostalgia and visual interest to your website, and is a great way to enhance the user experience.