Retro Pixel
<label class="pixel-container8">
<input type="checkbox" />
<div class="pixel-screen8">
<div class="pixel-display8">
<span class="pixel-text8">[ ]</span>
</div>
</div>
<span class="pixel-label8">RETRO PIXEL</span>
</label>About Retro Pixel
Retro Pixel is a checkbox built with a keyframe animation, layered shadows and pseudo elements. Its stylesheet runs to 70 lines across 11 rules, declaring 26 distinct properties. It styles checked state explicitly, so the component responds to interaction rather than sitting still. The animation is driven by keyframe sequences named pixel-blink8 and pixel-glow8, which you can retime or remove without touching the rest of the styling. Every format shown on this page is the same component, so you can take HTML, CSS and Tailwind depending on how your project is set up. Nothing is minified and nothing depends on a framework.
When to use
- Settings panels and forms, where state has to read at a glance, where a retro and pixel checkbox fits the surrounding design
- A single prominent checkbox rather than a row of them, since the pixel-blink8 animation runs continuously and several at once compete with each other
- Palettes built around green, black and yellow, where this checkbox can be dropped in without retheming
- Places where one control is meant to be memorable, since 70 lines of CSS is a real investment for a single element
How it works
The base rule sets the shape with border-radius, display, height and padding. A pseudo element carries part of the effect, which keeps the markup to one element while giving the CSS a second surface to animate. State changes are eased with a transition, so hovering does not snap. The looping motion comes from pixel-blink8 and pixel-glow8. Changing the animation-duration is usually the only edit needed to make it faster or calmer.
Accessibility
Built on a native <label> element, so keyboard focus and screen reader semantics work without extra attributes. No focus style is defined. Add one before shipping, or keyboard users lose track of position. Animates without a prefers-reduced-motion guard. Wrap the animation in that query if motion sensitivity matters to your audience. Those are 2 things to fix before this ships in front of users.
Browser support
Everything this component uses has been supported across browsers for years, so no fallback is needed.
Related components
Frequently asked questions
Retro Pixel
<label class="pixel-container8">
<input type="checkbox" />
<div class="pixel-screen8">
<div class="pixel-display8">
<span class="pixel-text8">[ ]</span>
</div>
</div>
<span class="pixel-label8">RETRO PIXEL</span>
</label>What is inside Retro Pixel
Retro Pixel is a CSS checkbox built with a keyframe animation, layered shadows, defined in 70 lines across 11 selectors.
Techniques used
Animations defined: pixel-blink8pixel-glow8
CSS properties in this component
align-itemsanimationbackgroundborderborder-radiusbox-shadowcolorcontentcursordisplayfont-familyfont-sizefont-weightgapheightinputjustify-contentletter-spacingopacityoverflowpaddingpositiontext-shadowtransitionuser-selectwidthAccessibility check2 to fix
- Built on a native <label> element, so keyboard focus and screen reader semantics work without extra attributes.
- No focus style is defined. Add one before shipping, or keyboard users lose track of position.
- Animates without a prefers-reduced-motion guard. Wrap the animation in that query if motion sensitivity matters to your audience.
These notes are generated by reading this component's own source, so they describe what it actually does rather than what a template says. Copy the code above in HTML, CSS, Tailwind and adapt it freely.