Tailwind CSS: Styling with Flair

Infuse your projects with the vibrant hues of Tailwind CSS, our go-to styling framework. We’ve compiled tips, tricks, and best practices to make your Tailwind journey a breeze.

Extensions

Installation

Kick things off by running:

npm install -D tailwindcss@latest postcss@latest autoprefixer@latest

Create a fresh postcss.config.js file in the root directory with the following code:

module.exports = {
  plugins: {
    tailwindcss: {},
    autoprefixer: {},
  },
};

Now generate your configuration file:

npx tailwindcss init

This will produce a minimal config at the root of your project:

module.exports = {
  content: ["./components/**/*.js", "./pages/**/*.js"],
  theme: {
    extend: {},
  },
  plugins: [],
};

Inject Tailwind into your CSS file:

@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

Plugins

Most of our projects fancy these indispensable plugins:

Harnessing Plugins

Slot in the plugins within the tailwind.config.js file at the root of your project:

module.exports = {
  content: ["./components/**/*.js", "./pages/**/*.js"],
  theme: {
    extend: {},
  },
  corePlugins: {
    // To use the Bootstrap plugin, the default container must be disabled
    container: false,
  },
  plugins: [
    require("tailwind-bootstrap-grid")({
      gridGutterWidth: "32px",
      containerMaxWidths: {
        sm: "640px",
        md: "768px",
        lg: "1024px",
        xl: "1280px",
        "2xl": "1536px",
      },
    }),
    require("tailwindcss-debug-screens"),
    require("@tailwindcss/typography"),
  ],
};

Tailwind Debug Screens

A nifty Tailwind CSS component that displays the active screen (responsive breakpoint) on the page. To power it up, include it in the <body> tag or <Layout> component. See the React example below:

const Layout = ({ children }) => {
  const inDevelopment = process.env.NODE_ENV === "development";

  return (
    <div className={`${inDevelopment ? "debug-screens" : ""}`}>{children}</div>
  );
};

export default Layout;

The code checks if the environment is in development, revealing the responsive indicator. In production, it remains concealed.

Tailwind Bootstrap Grid

This plugin gifts you with every Bootstrap grid name in Tailwind style, making col-6 in lieu of w-3/5 more appealing. It comes equipped with default gutters and allows for easy adjustments via config.

Here’s a grid example crafted with this plugin:

<div class="container">
  <div class="row">
    <div class="md:col-6 lg:col-3"></div>
    <div class="md:col-6 lg:col-3"></div>
    <div class="md:col-6 lg:col-3"></div>
    <div class="md:col-6 lg:col-3"></div>
  </div>
</div>