Mastering Tailwind CSS v4 Configuration: A Comprehensive Guide for Developers
TailwindCSSv4
TailwindCSS
NextJS
PostCSS
CSS
Learn how to configure Tailwind CSS v4 in a Next.js project with custom breakpoints, color palettes, and fonts. This step-by-step guide helps you build a scalable and maintainable design system using modern CSS variables.
✅ Step 1: Create a Next.js Project
Open your terminal and run the following command to create a new Next.js project:
1npx create-next-app@latest demo✅ Step 2: Install Tailwind CSS v4
Navigate into the newly created project directory:
1cd demoThen install Tailwind CSS and PostCSS:
1npm install tailwindcss @tailwindcss/postcss✅ Step 3: Configure PostCSS
Create or edit the postcss.config.mjs file in your project root and add the following:
1const config = {
2 plugins: ["@tailwindcss/postcss"],
3};
4
5export default config;✅ Step 4: Import Tailwind CSS
In your global CSS file (usually styles/globals.css), import Tailwind CSS:
1@import 'tailwindcss';✅ Step 5: Complete Global CSS Setup
In your styles/globals.css, use the following configuration to import Tailwind CSS and define your custom design like breakpoints, colors, and fonts:
1@import 'tailwindcss';
2
3@theme {
4
5// custom breakpoint
6 --breakpoint-xs: 450px;
7 --breakpoint-sm: 640px;
8 --breakpoint-md: 768px;
9 --breakpoint-lg: 1024px;
10 --breakpoint-xl: 1280px;
11 --breakpoint-2xl: 1536px;
12
13
14// custom colors
15 --color-primary: #171e67;
16 --color-secondary: #3941a2;
17 --color-accent: #d6d5d8;
18 --color-background: #f5f6fa;
19 --color-gold: #ffd700;
20 --color-darkText: #21264b;
21 --color-lightText: #c8ccdc;
22 --color-success: #2ecc71;
23 --color-danger: #e74c3c;
24 --color-white: #ffffff;
25 --color-black: #000000;
26
27// custom fonts
28 --font-serif: 'Times New Roman';
29 --font-mono: 'Courier New';
30}
31🌟 Using the :root Selector for Global Colors and Fonts in Tailwind CSS
1@import 'tailwindcss';
2
3:root {
4 --breakpoint-xs: 450px;
5 --breakpoint-sm: 640px;
6 --breakpoint-md: 768px;
7 --breakpoint-lg: 1024px;
8 --breakpoint-xl: 1280px;
9 --breakpoint-2xl: 1536px;
10 --color-primary: #171e67;
11 --color-secondary: #3941a2;
12 --color-accent: #d6d5d8;
13 --color-background: #f5f6fa;
14 --color-gold: #ffd700;
15 --color-darkText: #21264b;
16 --color-lightText: #c8ccdc;
17 --color-success: #2ecc71;
18 --color-danger: #e74c3c;
19 --color-white: #ffffff;
20 --color-black: #000000;
21 --font-serif: 'Times New Roman';
22 --font-mono: 'Courier New';
23}
24
25body {
26 background-color: var(--color-background);
27 color: var(--color-lightText);
28 text-decoration-color: var(--color-darkText);
29}Conclusion
Configuring Tailwind CSS v4 in a Next.js project doesn't require the typical tailwind.config.ts or tailwind.config.js file for customizations like breakpoints, colors, and fonts.
