Tailwind CSS on Hacks: Get to know Preline UI
Tags: tailwindcss, css, webdev, frontend
Published: 2023-12-27 19:52:54

**Technology:** TailwindCSS
**Series:** Get to Know
**Topic:** PrelineUI
**Version:** 1.1
**Author:** Cezary Mazur
**Author Website:** [cezarymazur.pl](https://cezarymazur.pl/)

---

User interfaces play a crucial role in the success of any web application or website. A well-designed UI enhances user experience, making navigation seamless and interactions intuitive. Two powerful tools in the web development arsenal, [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) and [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/), come together to streamline the process of creating elegant and responsive user interfaces.


![Gif shows Preline Hero banner](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/2w193b22gam5o3drbggh.gif)

## **Understanding TailwindCSS**

Before delving into [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/), let's revisit the fundamentals of [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/). This utility-first framework provides a plethora of pre-designed classes, enabling developers to style their components without the need for custom CSS. Its declarative approach aligns well with modern development practices, making it a favorite among frontend developers.

### **Key TailwindCSS Concepts**

1. **Utility-First Philosophy:** [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) promotes the idea of composing designs by combining small utility classes rather than writing custom CSS.
2. **Responsive Design:** [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) includes classes for responsive design, allowing developers to easily adapt layouts for various screen sizes.
3. **Configuration:** Developers can customize the framework's default settings using a configuration file, tailoring it to fit the project's specific needs.

Read more about how to start coding with TailwindCSS in my previous article: [TailwindCSS - Beginner’s Guide: Where to start?](https://dev.to/cezarymazur/tailwind-css-beginners-guide-where-to-start-18lo)

---


![Image show accordion, one of the PrelineUI plugin](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/a0kzbobmxb84tg7ji6m6.png)

##🤝 **Introducing PrelineUI**


### **What is PrelineUI?**

[PrelineUI](https://preline.co/docs/index.html) is a comprehensive UI framework that empowers developers to build beautiful and functional user interfaces with ease. It offers a set of carefully designed components, styles, and utilities that can be seamlessly integrated into projects, saving time and effort during the development process.

### **Implementation in TailwindCSS**

To integrate [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/) into your [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) project, you need to follow a few simple steps. First, install PrelineUI using your preferred package manager:

```bash
npm i preline
```

Next, add it to your **`tailwind.config.js`** file:

```
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  content: [
    // './src/**/*.{html,js}',
      'node_modules/preline/dist/*.js',
  ],
  plugins: [
    // require('@tailwindcss/forms'),
      require('preline/plugin'),
  ],
}
```

Include the JavaScript `<script>` that powers the interactive elements near the end of your `</body>` tag:

```html
// index.html
<script src="./node_modules/preline/dist/preline.js"></script>
```

### **Key Features of PrelineUI**

1. **Component Library:** [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) provides a rich library of UI components, including buttons, forms, navigation bars, and more. These components are crafted with attention to detail, ensuring a consistent and polished look throughout the application.
2. **Responsive Design:** With a focus on responsiveness, [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) ensures that your web application looks and works well on various devices and screen sizes. This is crucial in today's mobile-centric world, where users access websites from a multitude of devices.
3. **Customization:** While [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) comes with a default set of styles, it also allows for easy customization. Tailor the look and feel of your UI to match the branding and design preferences of your project.
4. **Documentation:** [The comprehensive documentation](https://preline.co/docs/index.html)  provided by [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) makes it easy for developers to get started and leverage the full potential of the framework. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, the documentation is a valuable resource for understanding and implementing [PrelineUI components.](https://preline.co/docs/accordion.html)


![Image show screenshot of the first page of PrelineUI docs](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/625msk05nkbfoxh3xvu0.png)

---

##✅ **Benefits of Using TailwindCSS with PrelineUI**

1. **Rapid Prototyping:** [TailwindCSS's](https://tailwindcss.com/) utility-first approach allows developers to prototype and iterate quickly. Apply styles directly in the HTML, making it easy to experiment and see immediate results.
2. **No Custom CSS:** With [TailwinCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/), there's often no need to write custom CSS styles. The framework provides a vast set of utility classes that cover common styling needs, reducing the amount of CSS code in your project.
3. **Consistent Design Language:** By combining [PrelineUI's](https://preline.co/index.html) components with [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/), you can maintain a consistent design language throughout your application. Tailwind's utility classes can be used to fine-tune the appearance of individual components without sacrificing coherence.
4. **Optimized Build Size:** [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) is designed to generate optimized and minimal CSS builds. This is beneficial for performance, ensuring that your web application loads quickly and efficiently.

---

## **Conclusion**

The combination of [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) and [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) offers a powerful and efficient solution for crafting elegant and responsive user interfaces. By leveraging the strengths of these frameworks, developers can save time, maintain a consistent design language, and deliver a seamless user experience. Explore the documentation provided by [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) and [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) to unlock the full potential of these tools and elevate the visual appeal of your web projects.

🌐 Visit [cezarymazur.pl](http://cezarymazur.pl) to see how I used TailwindCSS with [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/index.html) in real life.

---

##💬 **Your Thoughts Matter!**

We'd love to hear your thoughts on [TailwindCSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) and [PrelineUI](https://preline.co/). Have you used these tools in your projects? What has been your experience? Share your insights, suggestions, or any challenges you've faced in the comments below.

---

##❤️ **React, Share, Save**

If you found this article helpful, consider sharing it with your fellow developers. React to the content and save it for future reference. Your engagement fuels our commitment to bringing you more insightful content.

Visit [cezarymazur.pl](https://cezarymazur.pl) **for more front-end development tips and tricks. Stay tuned for regular updates and in-depth tutorials to level up your coding game. 

**Happy coding!**