Font Awesome is a popular library that provides a vast array of icons for use in web design. Whether you’re using SVG icons or icon fonts, changing the colour of these icons can significantly enhance your website’s design and user experience.
In this article, we’ll explore how to change the colour of Font Awesome icons, including free and pro icons, using CSS styles. We will also cover essential concepts like font size, weight, and CSS3 animations.
Changing Font Awesome Icon Color Step-By-Step
Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide for changing the colour of Font Awesome icons in your web projects. This guide covers everything from including Font Awesome in your project to applying custom styles.
Step 1: Include Font Awesome In Your Project
To use Font Awesome icons, include the Font Awesome library in your HTML file. You can link to their CDN (Content Delivery Network). Add the following line inside the <head> section of your HTML:
html
<head>
<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.0.0-beta3/css/all.min.css”>
</head>
Step 2: Add Font Awesome Icons To Your HTML
Once you have included the Font Awesome library, you can add icons to your HTML. For example, to add a heart icon, use the following code:
html
<i class=”fas fa-heart”></i>
Step 3: Basic CSS For Color Change
You can change the colour of the icon by adding CSS styles. Here’s a simple example of how to do this:
- Create a <style> tag in your HTML or link to an external CSS file.
html
<style>
.icon-heart {
color: red; /* Set your desired color */
font-size: 24px; /* Adjust the size if necessary */
}
</style>
- Apply the CSS class to your Font Awesome icon:
html
<i class=”fas fa-heart icon-heart”></i>
Step 4: Change The Icon Color On The Hover
To add interactivity, you can change the icon’s colour when the user hovers over it. Update your CSS as follows:
CSS
.icon-heart {
color: red; /* Default color */
transition: color 0.3s ease; /* Smooth transition effect */
}
.icon-heart:hover {
color: blue; /* Change to this color on hover */
}
Step 5: Using Custom Css Classes
You can create multiple custom CSS classes for different colors or styles. For instance:
CSS
.icon-green {
color: green;
}
.icon-blue {
color: blue;
}
Then, you can apply different classes to different icons:
html
<i class=”fas fa-heart icon-green”></i>
<i class=”fas fa-star icon-blue”></i>
Step 6: Adjusting Icon Size
You may want to adjust the size of your icons. This can be done using the font-size property in your CSS:
CSS
.icon-large {
font-size: 48px; /* Make the icon larger */
}
Apply this class to your icon:
html
<i class=”fas fa-heart icon-large”></i>
Step 7: Using Inline Styles
If you need a quick change without editing your CSS file, you can use inline styles directly in your HTML:
html
<i class=”fas fa-heart” style=”color: purple; font-size: 30px;”></i>
Step 8: Setting Background Color
To add a background color to your icons, you can wrap them in a <div> or <span> and style them:
html
<div style=”background-color: yellow; padding: 10px; display: inline-block;”>
<i class=”fas fa-heart” style=”color: red;”></i>
</div>
Step 9: Using CSS Variables For Dynamic Colors
If you’re using CSS variables, you can set a variable for your icon color:
CSS
:root {
–icon-color: orange;
}
.icon-variable {
color: var(–icon-color);
}
Then, you can change the color by just updating the variable:
html
<i class=”fas fa-heart icon-variable”></i>
Step 10: Final Example
Here’s a complete example that combines all the steps above:
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=”en”>
<head>
<meta charset=”UTF-8″>
<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0″>
<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.0.0-beta3/css/all.min.css”>
<style>
.icon-heart {
color: red;
font-size: 24px;
transition: color 0.3s ease;
}
.icon-heart:hover {
color: blue; /* Change color on hover */
}
.icon-large {
font-size: 48px; /* Larger icon */
}
.icon-green {
color: green;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Font Awesome Icon Color Change Example</h1>
<i class=”fas fa-heart icon-heart”></i>
<i class=”fas fa-star icon-green”></i>
<i class=”fas fa-heart icon-large”></i>
</body>
</html>
Conclusion
Changing the icon colour of Font Awesome icons is a straightforward process involving CSS. Adjusting the colour property and font size and utilizing custom CSS classes allows you to create visually appealing designs that enhance your website. Whether you’re using SVG icons or icon fonts, mastering these techniques makes your web applications more engaging and user-friendly.
FAQs
1.How Do I Change The Colour Of A Font Awesome Icon?
You can change the colour using CSS by targeting the icon class and setting the color property.
2.Can I Use Font Awesome Icons For Free?
Yes, Font Awesome offers a variety of free icons along with premium pro icons that require a subscription.
3.What Is The Difference Between SVG Icons And Icon Fonts?
SVG icons are vector images that can be resized without losing quality, while icon fonts are font files containing icon glyphs.
4.How Can I Change The Size Of A Font Awesome Icon?
You can change the icon size by adjusting the font-size property in your CSS.
5.Can I Animate Font Awesome Icons?
Yes, you can animate Font Awesome icons using CSS3 animations by modifying properties like color, transform, etc.