CSS Triangle Generator
Generate CSS triangles with visual editor
CSS Triangle Generator
How CSS Triangles Work
- Triangles are created using border properties
- Width and height are set to 0
- One border is colored, others are transparent
- Border sizes determine triangle dimensions
- Perfect for arrows, tooltips, and decorative elements
Privacy: All CSS generation happens in your browser. No data is sent to any server.
Your Privacy is Protected
All processing happens entirely in your browser. No data is stored, transmitted, or tracked. Your information remains completely private and secure on your device.
About CSS Triangle Generator
A CSS triangle generator is a specialized tool for web designers and developers who need to create triangular shapes using pure CSS without images or SVG files. CSS triangles are created using a clever border manipulation technique where you make an element's width and height zero, then manipulate colored borders to form triangle shapes. This method has been a staple of CSS design for creating arrows, tooltips, speech bubbles, breadcrumb separators, decorative elements, and geometric designs. Our CSS triangle generator provides a visual interface where you can select triangle direction (up, down, left, right), customize size and color, and instantly generate the CSS code needed to create that triangle. The tool shows a live preview of your triangle and provides clean, production-ready CSS that you can copy and paste directly into your stylesheet. This approach is better than using images because CSS triangles are scalable, load instantly without HTTP requests, can be easily modified with CSS, work perfectly at any screen resolution, and add minimal bytes to your stylesheet. Whether you're creating navigation arrows, dropdown indicators, tooltip pointers, or decorative design elements, CSS triangles are an elegant, performant solution that every web developer should master.
Key Features
Four Direction Options
Create triangles pointing up, down, left, or right. Each direction is perfect for different UI elementsâup/down arrows for dropdowns and accordions, left/right arrows for navigation and carousels, or any combination for creative geometric designs.
Visual Live Preview
See your triangle in real-time as you adjust settings. The preview updates instantly when you change direction, size, or color, allowing you to experiment and find the perfect triangle for your design without writing any code.
Customizable Size
Adjust triangle dimensions with precise control over width and height. Create tiny indicator arrows, medium-sized navigation elements, or large decorative triangles. The generator calculates the correct border widths automatically based on your desired triangle size.
Color Picker Integration
Choose any color for your triangle using a visual color picker or by entering HEX, RGB, or HSL values. Match your brand colors perfectly or create triangles that complement your existing color scheme.
Copy-Ready CSS Code
Get production-ready CSS code that you can copy with one click. The generated code is clean, commented, and includes all necessary properties to create your triangle. Just paste it into your stylesheet and add it to any element.
Responsive Design Support
Generated CSS works perfectly at all screen sizes and resolutions. CSS triangles scale beautifully, look sharp on retina displays, and don't require separate assets for different pixel densities like image-based approaches do.
Tooltip and Callout Presets
Quick presets for common use cases like tooltip arrows, speech bubble tails, and dropdown indicators. These presets provide starting points for typical triangle implementations, which you can then customize to match your design.
Browser Compatibility Notes
See browser compatibility information for the generated CSS. CSS triangles work in all modern browsers and even legacy browsers like IE8+, making them one of the most compatible CSS techniques available.
How to Use the CSS Triangle Generator
Select Direction
Select the direction your triangle should pointâup, down, left, or right. Consider your use case: down arrows for dropdowns, right arrows for navigation, up arrows for tooltips that appear below elements.
Adjust Size
Adjust the triangle size using the width and height sliders or input fields. The width typically controls the base of the triangle, while height controls how tall or long the triangle extends.
Choose Color
Choose your triangle color using the color picker or by entering a HEX, RGB, or HSL color value. The preview updates instantly to show your chosen color.
Review Preview
Review the live preview to ensure the triangle matches your design requirements. Make any necessary adjustments to direction, size, or color until you're satisfied.
Copy CSS Code
Copy the generated CSS code using the copy button. The code includes all necessary properties formatted and ready to use in your stylesheet.
Paste and Apply
Paste the CSS into your stylesheet and apply the class to an HTML element. You can use pseudo-elements (::before or ::after) to add triangles to existing elements without extra markup.
Adjust Positioning
Adjust positioning as needed using top, right, bottom, and left properties to place your triangle exactly where you want it relative to its parent element.
Test Compatibility
Test across different browsers and devices to ensure your triangle displays correctly. CSS triangles are highly compatible but always verify in your target browsers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do CSS triangles actually work?
CSS triangles exploit how borders are rendered. When you make an element's width and height 0px and set thick borders, each border forms a trapezoid. By making three borders transparent and one colored, you see only one triangle-shaped border. For example, a down-pointing triangle has a colored top border and transparent left, right, and bottom borders. The border widths determine the triangle's size and proportions.
Are CSS triangles better than SVG triangles?
Both have advantages. CSS triangles are simpler to implement, require no additional files, and work in older browsers. SVG triangles offer more flexibility for complex shapes, can include gradients and patterns, and are better for large decorative elements. For simple UI arrows and indicators, CSS triangles are usually the better choice. For complex geometric designs, consider SVG.
Can I create equilateral triangles with CSS?
Yes! For an equilateral triangle, set the border widths based on trigonometry. For a down-pointing equilateral triangle with a 100px base, set top-border-width to about 86.6px (100 Ă â3/2), and left/right border-widths to 50px each. Our generator includes an 'equilateral' preset that handles the math for you.
How do I position CSS triangles?
Use pseudo-elements (::before or ::after) to add triangles without extra HTML. Position them with position: absolute and use top, right, bottom, and left properties to place them precisely. The parent element needs position: relative. This approach keeps your HTML clean while giving you full control over triangle placement.
Can I animate CSS triangles?
Yes! You can animate triangle color using transitions or keyframes. You can also rotate triangles, scale them, or change their position. However, you cannot directly animate the triangle's shape or direction (since that requires changing border widths), though you can rotate a triangle 90° or 180° to change its effective direction.
Do CSS triangles work on mobile devices?
Absolutely! CSS triangles work perfectly on all devices and screen sizes. They scale beautifully on high-DPI retina displays without blurriness, unlike pixel-based images. They also don't require separate assets for different screen densities, making them ideal for responsive design.
How do I make a right triangle instead of isosceles?
Adjust the left and right border widths differently. For example, for a right triangle pointing down and right, set top-border-width for height, left-border-width to the desired width, and right-border-width to 0. Experiment with our generator's custom size controls to create right triangles and other asymmetric shapes.
Can I add borders to CSS triangles?
Not directly, since the triangle itself is made from borders. However, you can create a bordered triangle effect by stacking two trianglesâa slightly larger one in the border color behind a smaller one in the fill color. Position them carefully using pseudo-elements to create the illusion of a bordered triangle.
Use Cases
- Dropdown Menu Indicators: Create down-pointing arrows for dropdown menus and navigation items. CSS triangles are perfect for indicating expandable menu items, providing visual cues that content can be revealed. They're lightweight, easy to style on hover, and don't require image assets.
- Tooltip and Popover Arrows: Add pointer arrows to tooltips and popovers that point to the element they're describing. These triangular tails make tooltips feel connected to their triggers, improving user experience by clearly showing what the tooltip relates to. Position them on any side of the tooltip.
- Breadcrumb Separators: Use right-pointing triangles as separators in breadcrumb navigation. CSS triangles create modern, geometric breadcrumb trails that are more visually interesting than slash or angle bracket separators, while maintaining clarity and usability.
- Speech Bubbles and Chat Interfaces: Create chat message tails and speech bubble pointers for messaging interfaces. Triangular tails make chat bubbles feel more like real conversations, pointing to the sender. Different directions can indicate messages from different participants in the conversation.
- Decorative Design Elements: Add geometric design elements to headers, cards, or page sections. Triangles can create modern, sharp design aesthetics, serve as visual dividers, or add geometric interest to otherwise rectangular layouts. Combine multiple triangles for complex geometric patterns.