Css Highlight Text: A Step-by-Step Guide to Highlighting Text

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Posted Nov 4, 2024

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HTML and CSS code on a computer monitor, highlighting web development and programming.
Credit: pexels.com, HTML and CSS code on a computer monitor, highlighting web development and programming.

Highlighting text with CSS is a great way to draw attention to specific words or phrases on your website. You can use the `background-color` property to change the color of the text.

To highlight text, you can use the `::selection` pseudo-element, which allows you to style the selected text. For example, you can use `::selection { background-color: yellow; }` to highlight the selected text in yellow.

The `::selection` pseudo-element is supported in most modern browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. This means you can use it to create a consistent highlighting experience across different browsers.

HTML Basics

HTML is the backbone of any web page, and understanding its basics is crucial for working with CSS.

You can use HTML to draw attention to important sections, paragraphs, or groups of words, just like you would with a marker or highlighter on paper.

To highlight text in HTML, you can use CSS, which is like a styling tool for your web page.

HTML Basics Overview

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HTML is used to create web pages, just like you use paper to write notes.

You can highlight text in HTML using CSS to draw attention to important sections, paragraphs, or group of words.

A marker, highlighter, or colored pen/pencil is used to highlight text on paper, but in HTML, you use CSS.

You can use CSS to highlight text in a HTML page to make it stand out, just like you would use a highlighter on paper.

HTML is a markup language used to create web pages, and it's essential to understand its basics to create engaging web content.

HTML Code Structure

HTML Code Structure is the backbone of any web page. It's what gives your page its structure and organization.

A span tag is a fundamental element in HTML that allows you to wrap text and apply styles to it. You can use span tags to highlight text with different colors.

To apply styles to your text, you can include CSS properties directly in the span tag's definition in HTML. This eliminates the need for a separate CSS file.

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The span tag is particularly useful for giving inline styles, which only apply to the specific section of text it wraps. This is in contrast to other elements that might apply styles to the entire page.

By enclosing the text you want to highlight within span tags, you can easily change its appearance using CSS properties.

Design Options

You can create a variety of design options to highlight text using CSS.

One design option is to use a span element with a CSS class to highlight specific words inside a sentence. This is demonstrated in the Arrow CSS Highlight Text Effect example, which shows how to create a simple and effective highlight effect.

This approach is useful because it allows you to reuse the CSS class throughout a webpage, making it easy to maintain and update your design.

Styles

Designing a visually appealing website is crucial for grabbing users' attention and conveying information effectively. You can achieve this by incorporating various design options, including styles.

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You can create a ribbon highlight text effect by using a :before CSS pseudo element added underneath the text you want to highlight. This effect is known as the Ribbon CSS Highlight Text Effect.

The color of the ribbon highlight can be easily changed by modifying the border-color property in the CSS. This makes it a simple and versatile design option.

To create a more complex effect, you can use an extra pseudo element :after, as seen in the Arrow CSS Highlight Text Effect. This adds a tip to the arrow, making it look more like a real arrow.

If you prefer a more straightforward approach, you can use a simple CSS class to create a blocked CSS highlight text effect, as shown in the Block Highlight Text (CSS) example.

Here are some common styles used for highlighting text:

  • Ribbon CSS Highlight Text Effect: uses a :before pseudo element to create a ribbon-like effect
  • Arrow CSS Highlight Text Effect: uses an extra pseudo element :after to add a tip to the arrow
  • Block Highlight Text (CSS): uses a simple CSS class to create a blocked effect

Sketch

The Sketch design option is a unique and creative way to highlight text on a webpage. It's made up of two pseudo elements, :before and :after, which use border-radius to create rounded borders and a rotate transform to add a handwriting doodle sketch effect.

CSS code displayed on a computer screen highlighting programming concepts and technology.
Credit: pexels.com, CSS code displayed on a computer screen highlighting programming concepts and technology.

This effect can be achieved with just a few lines of CSS code, and you can easily customize the settings to get your own sketch CSS highlight text effect. The text highlight color is typically dark blue to mimic the look of a ballpoint pen.

You can play around with the settings to get the perfect sketch effect for your webpage. For example, you can change the color and opacity of the highlight to suit your design needs.

One example of a sketch CSS highlight text effect is shown in Example 6, where the text highlight color is dark blue to mimic the ballpoint pen and the opacity is reduced a bit. You can use this as inspiration to create your own unique sketch effect.

The Sketch design option is a great way to add some personality to your webpage and make your text stand out. It's a simple yet effective way to highlight important words and phrases.

The Sketch effect can also be used in conjunction with other design elements to create a cohesive and visually appealing design. For example, you can pair it with a bold font to create a striking headline.

In Example 7, the Sketch design option is used to create a sketchy-looking highlighting effect that looks as if it was done with a pen over a piece of paper. This is a great example of how you can use the Sketch effect to create a unique and creative design.

Advanced Techniques

Credit: youtube.com, Custom Selection (Text Highlight) Color Using CSS

To add advanced techniques to your CSS highlight text, you can use the :nth-child pseudo-class to highlight every nth element. This is especially useful when you need to highlight a specific pattern in your text.

You can use the ::first-line pseudo-element to highlight the first line of a paragraph, which is perfect for drawing attention to a key point. This can be done by adding the CSS code `::first-line { background-color: yellow; }`.

Using the :before pseudo-element, you can add a highlight icon before a highlighted element, making it stand out even more. For example, `:before { content: ""; background-color: yellow; width: 5px; height: 5px; border-radius: 50%; }`.

The background-clip property can be used to clip the background of an element to the padding area, creating a more subtle highlight effect. For instance, `background-clip: padding-box; background-color: yellow;`.

Color and Gradient

You can use the background-color property of CSS to highlight text, by setting the background of the text to a particular color, such as pink or lightblue.

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This method is easy to apply and can be used to attract users' attention to a particular section or text on a webpage. You can choose any color value you like, including hex codes like #add8e6 or #ffcccb.

To create a gradient highlight effect, you can use the linear-gradient function inside background-image. This allows you to generate a gradient effect that can be customized to your liking.

You can pick any gradient you like and create a sleek look for your text. This method is a fancy way of highlighting HTML text with a cool gradient.

Ann Predovic

Lead Writer

Ann Predovic is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting informative and engaging content. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for research, she has established herself as a go-to expert in various fields, including technology and software. Her writing career has taken her down a path of exploring complex topics, making them accessible to a broad audience.

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