Types of CSS used by Web Designers

The following is a brief summary for reference and/or education on the 3 types of CSS used by web designers when coding a page.

CSS best practices recommends that you use primarily external style sheets for styling webpages so that you get the most benefit of the cascade and inheritance.

Types of CSS found in web design

Also known as Cascading Stylesheets, is the recommended way to control the presentation layer (the visual) in a website. CSS has a main advantage over presentational HTML markup, which is that it allows you to keep the styling entirely separate from the content. For example, it’s possible to store all the presentational styles for a 10,000-page website in a single CSS file. CSS also provides far better control over presentation than do presentational element types in HTML.

Inline Style

Inline styles are written into the tag of the document and affect only the tag they are applied to.

An example of inline CSS would be:

<a href="#" style="text-decoration: none;">Text Here</a>

Internal (Embedded) Style

Embedded styles are embedded into the head of the document. Embedded styles affect only the tags on the page they are embedded to.

An example of internal, or embedded CSS would be:

<style type="text/css">
    .className {color:#00F;}
</style>

External Style

External styles are written in a separate document altogether. These styles can be attached to various documents and can affect any document they are attached to. This is the most useful and popular choice as it allows the user to easily reuse the styles.

An example of external CSS would be:

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="styles.css" />

Why use CSS when building a website?

If you’re building a website, you’ve likely heard of CSS. But why exactly do you need it? CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is an essential component of modern web design. It allows you to separate the content of your website from its presentation, making it easier to create a beautiful, user-friendly site. Here are some reasons why you should use CSS when building a website.

Improves Site Speed

One of the key benefits of using CSS is that it can significantly improve your site’s speed. By separating the design elements of your website from the content, you can reduce the amount of code needed to create each page. This means that your pages will load faster, providing a better experience for your users. Additionally, CSS allows you to cache design elements, which can further improve your site’s speed.

Enhances Accessibility

CSS makes it easy to create a website that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. You can use CSS to adjust font sizes, colors, and spacing to ensure that your content is easy to read and navigate. Users who are visually impaired or have cognitive disabilities find this particularly important. Additionally, CSS allows you to create responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes and devices, making your site more accessible on mobile devices.

Streamlines Maintenance

Another benefit of using CSS is that it can streamline your site’s maintenance. Because CSS separates the design elements of your site from the content, you can make changes to your site’s design without having to modify each individual page. This can save you a significant amount of time and effort, particularly if you have a large site with many pages.

Increases Design Flexibility

CSS provides a high degree of design flexibility, allowing you to create unique and visually appealing websites. With CSS, you can easily create complex layouts, adjust typography and color schemes, and add visual effects such as gradients, shadows, and animations. This can help your site stand out from the competition and create a memorable user experience.

Improves SEO

Using CSS can also help improve your site’s search engine optimization (SEO). By separating your content from your design elements, you can create cleaner, more semantic HTML code. This can make it easier for search engine crawlers to understand the content of your site, which can improve your site’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Types of CSS Explained

In summary, CSS is an essential component of modern web design. It allows you to separate the design elements of your site from its content, improving site speed, accessibility, and maintenance, while also increasing design flexibility and improving SEO. If you’re building a website, it’s important to understand the role that CSS plays in creating a beautiful, user-friendly site.

So, don’t hesitate to incorporate CSS into your website design process. Whether you’re building a simple blog or a complex e-commerce site, CSS can help you create a site that is fast, accessible, and visually appealing. With the right CSS skills and tools, you can create a site that stands out from the competition and delivers a great user experience.

To learn more about CSS, check out the resources at W3Schools: https://www.w3schools.com/css/