Theming
Creating consistent design systems with CSS variables.
CSS Variables
Define design tokens as CSS variables:
/* styles/globals.css */
@layer base {
:root {
/* Colors */
--background: 0 0% 100%;
--foreground: 222.2 84% 4.9%;
--primary: 24 95% 53%;
--primary-foreground: 210 40% 98%;
--secondary: 210 40% 96.1%;
--secondary-foreground: 222.2 47.4% 11.2%;
--muted: 210 40% 96.1%;
--muted-foreground: 215.4 16.3% 46.9%;
--accent: 210 40% 96.1%;
--accent-foreground: 222.2 47.4% 11.2%;
--destructive: 0 84.2% 60.2%;
--destructive-foreground: 210 40% 98%;
--border: 214.3 31.8% 91.4%;
--input: 214.3 31.8% 91.4%;
--ring: 24 95% 53%;
/* Radius */
--radius: 0.5rem;
}
.dark {
--background: 222.2 84% 4.9%;
--foreground: 210 40% 98%;
--primary: 24 95% 53%;
--primary-foreground: 210 40% 98%;
--secondary: 217.2 32.6% 17.5%;
--secondary-foreground: 210 40% 98%;
--muted: 217.2 32.6% 17.5%;
--muted-foreground: 215 20.2% 65.1%;
--accent: 217.2 32.6% 17.5%;
--accent-foreground: 210 40% 98%;
--destructive: 0 62.8% 30.6%;
--destructive-foreground: 210 40% 98%;
--border: 217.2 32.6% 17.5%;
--input: 217.2 32.6% 17.5%;
--ring: 24 95% 53%;
}
}Using Variables in Tailwind
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
background: 'hsl(var(--background))',
foreground: 'hsl(var(--foreground))',
primary: {
DEFAULT: 'hsl(var(--primary))',
foreground: 'hsl(var(--primary-foreground))',
},
secondary: {
DEFAULT: 'hsl(var(--secondary))',
foreground: 'hsl(var(--secondary-foreground))',
},
muted: {
DEFAULT: 'hsl(var(--muted))',
foreground: 'hsl(var(--muted-foreground))',
},
accent: {
DEFAULT: 'hsl(var(--accent))',
foreground: 'hsl(var(--accent-foreground))',
},
destructive: {
DEFAULT: 'hsl(var(--destructive))',
foreground: 'hsl(var(--destructive-foreground))',
},
border: 'hsl(var(--border))',
input: 'hsl(var(--input))',
ring: 'hsl(var(--ring))',
},
borderRadius: {
lg: 'var(--radius)',
md: 'calc(var(--radius) - 2px)',
sm: 'calc(var(--radius) - 4px)',
},
},
},
};Usage in Components
<div className="bg-background text-foreground">
<Button className="bg-primary text-primary-foreground">
Primary Button
</Button>
<p className="text-muted-foreground">
Secondary text
</p>
<div className="border border-border rounded-lg">
Card with border
</div>
</div>Theme Provider
// components/ThemeProvider.tsx
import { createContext, useContext, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
type Theme = 'light' | 'dark' | 'system';
interface ThemeContextType {
theme: Theme;
setTheme: (theme: Theme) => void;
}
const ThemeContext = createContext<ThemeContextType | undefined>(undefined);
export const ThemeProvider = ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => {
const [theme, setTheme] = useState<Theme>('system');
useEffect(() => {
const root = window.document.documentElement;
root.classList.remove('light', 'dark');
if (theme === 'system') {
const systemTheme = window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)')
.matches ? 'dark' : 'light';
root.classList.add(systemTheme);
} else {
root.classList.add(theme);
}
}, [theme]);
return (
<ThemeContext.Provider value={{ theme, setTheme }}>
{children}
</ThemeContext.Provider>
);
};
export const useTheme = () => {
const context = useContext(ThemeContext);
if (!context) throw new Error('useTheme must be used within ThemeProvider');
return context;
};Rules
- No inline styles — Use Tailwind classes only
- Extract patterns — Create reusable components for common patterns
- Mobile-first — Start with mobile styles, add breakpoints for larger screens
- Design tokens — Use CSS variables for consistent theming
- Spacing scale — Use consistent spacing: 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64