Dynamic Drive CSS Library- CSS Animated Underline Menu

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CSS Animated Underline Menu

Author: Dynamic Drive

This menu takes the simplicity and elegance of an underline beneath text and animates it for a touch of liveliness. Three effects are presented- drawing the line horizontally, drawing and thickening the line, and finally, drawing and expanding the line to cover the entire menu item.

The "underline" is created using an absolutely positioned pseudo element positioned beneath each menu item. Whenever the user mouses over an item, CSS transition is used to animate the width of the pseudo element, and in the 2nd and 3rd demos, its height property as well. The result is a clean looking yet modern horizontal menu style.

Demo:

The CSS:

<link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Lato:400,900' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'>

<style>

ul.animatedunderlinemenu{
  list-style: none;
  margin: 0;
	margin-bottom: 50px; /* add spacing between UL and rest of content for demo purposes */
  padding:0;
  text-align:center; /* enter "left", "right", or "center" to orient the menu accordingly */
  font: bold 1.2em 'Lato', sans-serif; /* use google custom font "Lato" */
}

ul.animatedunderlinemenu li{
  display: inline;
  margin-right:25px; /* spacing between each menu item */
}

ul.animatedunderlinemenu li a{
  position: relative;
	display: inline-block;
  color: black;
  padding: 2px 3px;
  padding-bottom: 8px; /*spacing between each menu item and underline beneath it */
  text-decoration: none;
  margin-bottom: 20px; /* spacing between A elements, relevant when menu becomes multi-lined */
  letter-spacing: .1em;
}

ul.animatedunderlinemenu li a:after{
  position: absolute;
	display: block;
  content: '';
  width: 0;
  height: 3px;
  background: #CAF4F9;
  top: 100%;
  left: 0;
  opacity: 0;
  z-index: -1;
  -wekkit-transition: all .3s;
  transition: all .3s;
}

ul.animatedunderlinemenu li a:hover:after{
  width: 100%; /* increase underline width to 100% */
  opacity: 1;
}

/* //// Expand underline effect //// */

ul.animatedunderlinemenu.expand li a:after{
  background: #CAF4F9;
	-webkit-transition: width .3s, opacity .3s, height .3s .3s;
	transition: width .3s, opacity .3s, height .3s .3s;
}

ul.animatedunderlinemenu.expand li a:hover:after{
  width: 100%; /* increase underline width to 100% */
	height: 10px; /* increase underline height to 10px */
  opacity: 1;
}

/* //// Expand underline upwards effect //// */

ul.animatedunderlinemenu.expandup li a:after{
  background: #CAF4F9;
	top: auto;
	bottom: 0;
	-webkit-transition: width .3s, opacity .3s, height .3s .3s;
	transition: width .3s, opacity .3s, height .3s .3s;
}

ul.animatedunderlinemenu.expandup li a:hover:after{
  width: 100%; /* increase underline width to 100% */
	height: 100%; /* increase underline height to 100% */
  opacity: 1;
}

</style>

The HTML:

<ul class="animatedunderlinemenu">
	<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">DHTML</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.cssdrive.com">Gallery</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.javascriptkit.com">JavaScript</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.cmsroundup.com">CMS</a></li>
</ul>


<ul class="animatedunderlinemenu expand">
	<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">DHTML</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.cssdrive.com">Gallery</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.javascriptkit.com">JavaScript</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.cmsroundup.com">CMS</a></li>
</ul>


<ul class="animatedunderlinemenu expandup">
	<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">DHTML</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.cssdrive.com">Gallery</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.javascriptkit.com">JavaScript</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.cmsroundup.com">CMS</a></li>
</ul>

Code Info

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Date Posted: 02/16/2016

Revision History: None

Usage Terms: Click here