Input & Button Styling in CSS

1. Styling Input Fields

Basic input styling includes padding, borders, and focus states:

input[type="text"],
input[type="email"],
input[type="password"] {
    padding: 10px;
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
    border-radius: 6px;
    width: 100%;
    font-size: 1rem;
}

input:focus {
    outline: none;
    border-color: #2563eb;
    box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(37, 99, 235, 0.3);
}
            

2. Styling Buttons

Customize colors, padding, border-radius, and hover/focus effects:

button {
    background-color: #2563eb;
    color: white;
    padding: 10px 20px;
    border: none;
    border-radius: 6px;
    font-size: 1rem;
    cursor: pointer;
    transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
}

button:hover {
    background-color: #1d4ed8;
}

button:focus {
    outline: none;
    box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(37, 99, 235, 0.4);
}
            

3. Disabled States

Style disabled inputs and buttons clearly to indicate interactivity:

input:disabled,
button:disabled {
    background-color: #f3f4f6;
    color: #9ca3af;
    cursor: not-allowed;
    border-color: #d1d5db;
}
            

4. Input with Icons (Optional)

You can style inputs with icons using relative/absolute positioning:

.input-wrapper {
    position: relative;
}

.input-wrapper input {
    padding-left: 2.5rem;
}

.input-wrapper .icon {
    position: absolute;
    left: 10px;
    top: 50%;
    transform: translateY(-50%);
    color: #9ca3af;
}
            

5. Best Practices

• Ensure sufficient contrast for accessibility.
• Use focus styles for keyboard navigation support.
• Minimize reliance on JavaScript for basic styling.
• Test on mobile devices for usability.

Conclusion

Well-styled inputs and buttons improve the user experience significantly. With just a few lines of CSS, you can create clean, modern, and accessible form components for any interface.