Write Fewer Media Queries With the clamp() CSS Function

This article was originally published in the DEV Community.

Here's a neat little trick:

You can use the clamp() CSS function to make font-size responsive and fluid!

It works by "clamping", or restricting, a flexible value between a minimum and a maximum range.

Here's how to use it:

1. Choose a minimum value: E.g. 16px
2. Choose a maximum value: E.g. 34px
3. Choose a flexible value: E.g. 5vw

h1 {
  font-size: clamp(16px, 5vw, 34px);
}

In this example, the h1 font-size value will be 5% of the viewport width. But only if that value is bigger than 16px and smaller than 34px.

For instance, if your viewport width is 300px, your 5vw value will be equal to 15px. However, you clamped that font-size value to a minimum of 16px, so that is what is going to be.

On the other hand, if your viewport width is 1400px, you 5vw will be a whooping 70px! But luckily you clamped that maximum value to 34px, so it won't grow past that.

Oh, and it also works with padding! And margin!

And literally any other property that accepts a length, frequency, angle, time, percentage, number, or integer!

Browser support is also pretty good if you don't need to support IE/older Safari versions, look:

I love modern CSS. What are your thoughts on clamp()?

EDIT: Be sure to check Darshak's suggestion in the comments if you need to add an alternative implementation for older Safari!

Cover photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash

Thanks to Madza for the name of this series 😄

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