Color Wipe Border: CSS Border Animation

Color Wipe Border

A new color paints itself clockwise over the old one, then the next color does the same, round after round. A conic stop sweeps on an @property percentage while two registered colors hand over.

Also known as: border color transition css, paint border animation, border wipe animation css.

Color wipe

Color Base size 16px Dark background Hold hover state

HTML

<div class="bdr-color-wipe-border">Color wipe</div>

CSS

@property --bdr-color-wipe-border-p {
  syntax: "<percentage>";
  inherits: false;
  initial-value: 0%;
}
@property --bdr-color-wipe-border-from {
  syntax: "<color>";
  inherits: false;
  initial-value: transparent;
}
@property --bdr-color-wipe-border-to {
  syntax: "<color>";
  inherits: false;
  initial-value: transparent;
}
.bdr-color-wipe-border {
  --c: var(--bdr-color, #3b82f6);
  font-size: var(--bdr-size, 16px);
  position: relative;
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
  width: 15em;
  height: 8.5em;
  border-radius: 1em;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
  font-weight: 600;
  --one: var(--c);
  --two: color-mix(in oklch, var(--c), #ec4899 85%);
  --three: color-mix(in oklch, var(--c), #f59e0b 80%);
  box-sizing: border-box;
  border: 0.24em solid transparent;
  background:
    linear-gradient(#fff, #fff) padding-box,
    conic-gradient(var(--bdr-color-wipe-border-to) calc(var(--bdr-color-wipe-border-p) - 3%), var(--bdr-color-wipe-border-from) var(--bdr-color-wipe-border-p)) border-box;
  color: #111827;
  animation: bdr-color-wipe-border-paint 4.5s cubic-bezier(0.65, 0, 0.35, 1) infinite;
}
@keyframes bdr-color-wipe-border-paint {
  0%     { --bdr-color-wipe-border-p: 0%;   --bdr-color-wipe-border-from: var(--one);   --bdr-color-wipe-border-to: var(--two); }
  33.3%  { --bdr-color-wipe-border-p: 103%; --bdr-color-wipe-border-from: var(--one);   --bdr-color-wipe-border-to: var(--two); }
  33.4%  { --bdr-color-wipe-border-p: 0%;   --bdr-color-wipe-border-from: var(--two);   --bdr-color-wipe-border-to: var(--three); }
  66.6%  { --bdr-color-wipe-border-p: 103%; --bdr-color-wipe-border-from: var(--two);   --bdr-color-wipe-border-to: var(--three); }
  66.7%  { --bdr-color-wipe-border-p: 0%;   --bdr-color-wipe-border-from: var(--three); --bdr-color-wipe-border-to: var(--one); }
  100%   { --bdr-color-wipe-border-p: 103%; --bdr-color-wipe-border-from: var(--three); --bdr-color-wipe-border-to: var(--one); }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .bdr-color-wipe-border, .bdr-color-wipe-border *, .bdr-color-wipe-border::before, .bdr-color-wipe-border::after, .bdr-color-wipe-border *::before, .bdr-color-wipe-border *::after {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
  }
}

Customizing this snippet

Color: set --bdr-color on the element or a parent. Currently previewing #3b82f6.
Base size: set --bdr-size. Every other dimension is in em, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing 16px.
Speed: change the duration on the transition or animation shorthand. Staggered delays are relative, so they keep their rhythm.
Reduced motion: the rule at the end of the CSS turns the motion off for people who asked their OS for less of it. Keep it.

Color Wipe Border

HTML

CSS

Customizing this snippet

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