7 Reasons Why TailwindCSS Outshines Traditional CSS

Introduction

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that allows you to create webpages without ever leaving your HTML. In this article, I'll share the 7 key benefits that make Tailwind stand out over traditional CSS. I'll explain why it's my favorite CSS framework, why many other web designers love it, and why you might want to give it a try too!

1. Utility first approach

The utility-first approach in Tailwind CSS emphasizes using small, single-purpose utility classes to build designs directly within your HTML. This method facilitates rapid development, ensures a consistent design system, and allows for flexible style adjustments without leaving your HTML.

Example:

<p class=“text-red-700 mb-4”> This is a simple card component using Tailwind CSS utility classes. <p/>

2. Highly customisable

Tailwind CSS is designed to be highly customizable, allowing developers to configure and extend the framework according to their project’s needs. This customization is primarily done via the tailwind.config.js file, where you can define your color palette, spacing, typography, and other design aspects.

Example:

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        primary: '#1da1f2',
        secondary: '#14171a',
      },
      fontSize: {
        '20': '12rem',
      },
    },
  },
}

3. Mobile first design

Tailwind CSS follows a mobile-first design approach, meaning that styles are first applied to mobile devices and then progressively enhanced for larger screens. This approach ensures a responsive design by default.

Example:

<div class="bg-blue-500 p-4 sm:bg-green-500 md:bg-red-500 lg:bg-yellow-500 xl:bg-purple-500">
  Responsive background colors!
</div>

4. Reusability

Tailwind’s utility-first approach allows you to create reusable components quickly. By using utility classes, you can easily apply the same styles across different elements without rewriting CSS.

Example:

<div class="bg-blue-500 p-4 sm:bg-green-500 md:bg-red-500 lg:bg-yellow-500 xl:bg-purple-500">
  Responsive background colors!
</div>

5. Purge Unused Styles Feature

Tailwind CSS includes a feature to purge unused styles from your production build, significantly reducing the size of your CSS file. This is done by specifying the paths to your templates in the purge option in tailwind.config.js.

Example:

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  purge: ['./src/**/*.html', './src/**/*.js'],
  theme: {
    // Custom configurations
  },
}

6. Easy to integrate

Tailwind CSS can be easily integrated into various projects, including those using frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular. It can also be included in traditional HTML/CSS projects via CDN.

Example:

// add this to the head tag of your html file
 <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/tailwindcss@2.2.19/dist/tailwind.min.css" rel="stylesheet">

// Example
  <div class="container mx-auto p-4">
    <h1 class="text-3xl font-bold">Hello, Tailwind CSS!</h1>
  </div>

7. Consistency

Tailwind CSS promotes design consistency by using a predefined set of utility classes. These classes ensure that styles are applied uniformly across the project, reducing discrepancies and making maintenance easier.

Example:

<div class="flex space-x-4">
  <div class="bg-blue-500 text-white p-4 rounded">Box 1</div>
  <div class="bg-blue-500 text-white p-4 rounded">Box 2</div>
  <div class="bg-blue-500 text-white p-4 rounded">Box 3</div>
</div>

Conclusion

Tailwind CSS outshines regular CSS with its utility-first design, making styling faster and customization simpler. It ensures responsive, clean code from the start with a mobile-first approach and reusable components. Integration with various frameworks is easy, and its consistent design system boosts professionalism and maintainability. Tailwind CSS makes web development more efficient and enjoyable. Try it and see the difference!