How to Highlight Text in CSS: Techniques and Examples

Text highlighting is a common design element used to draw attention to important information on a webpage. CSS provides several methods to achieve text highlighting, each with its own visual effect. In this article, we'll explore three popular techniques to highlight text using CSS: background color, border, and text shadow.

Background Color Highlight

One of the simplest and most effective ways to highlight text is by changing its background color. This method gives the text a prominent look, making it stand out from the rest of the content.

Implementation:

Here's an example of how to implement background color highlighting in CSS:

HTML:

<p class="highlight">This text is highlighted.</p>

CSS:

.highlight {
    background-color: yellow;
    padding: 5px;
}

In this example, we've applied a yellow background color to the text with the .highlight class. Adjusting the background-color property allows you to change the highlight color to fit your design.

Border Highlight

Adding a border around text is another effective way to highlight it. This method provides a distinct outline to the text, drawing attention to its content.

Implementation:

Here's how you can create a border highlight effect in CSS:

HTML:

<p class="highlight">This text is highlighted.</p>

CSS:

.highlight {
    border: 2px solid yellow;
    padding: 5px;
    display: inline; /* Ensures the border wraps tightly around the text */
}

In this example, we've applied a 2-pixel solid yellow border to the text with the .highlight class. You can customize the border property to change the style, color, and thickness of the border.

Text Shadow Highlight

Using a text shadow is a subtle yet effective way to highlight text. This method creates a shadow effect behind the text, making it appear as though it's glowing.

Implementation:

Here's how to add a text shadow highlight effect in CSS:

HTML:

<p class="highlight">This text is highlighted.</p>

CSS:

.highlight {
    text-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(255, 255, 0, 0.5); /* Yellow with 50% opacity */
    padding: 5px;
    display: inline; /* Ensures the shadow wraps tightly around the text */
}

In this example, we've applied a text shadow with a yellow color and 50% opacity to the text with the .highlight class. Adjusting the text-shadow property allows you to change the shadow color, blur radius, and offset.

Conclusion

Text highlighting is an essential technique in web design for emphasizing important information. By using CSS, you can easily implement various text highlighting effects to improve the readability and visual appeal of your content. Whether you prefer a bold background color, a distinctive border, or a subtle text shadow, CSS provides the flexibility to create the perfect highlight for your text.

Next time you want to draw attention to key points in your articles, consider these CSS text highlighting techniques to make your content more engaging and user-friendly.