Introduction
Font Awesome provides scalable vector icons that can instantly be customized
— size, color, drop shadow, and anything that can be done with the power of CSS. Integrating Font
Awesome with Laravel is a straightforward process that can greatly enhance the visual appeal and
usability of your web application. In this tutorial, we will cover the steps on how to use Font
Awesome in a Laravel application.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Installation
To start using Font Awesome in your Laravel project, you need to include it in your application. There are
two main methods to do this: via a Content Delivery Network (CDN) or by installing it through
NPM (Node Package Manager).
Using CDN
<!-- Add this to your Blade template -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/font-awesome@/css/font-awesome.min.css" integrity="sha384-" crossorigin="anonymous">
This is the simplest method, but the disadvantage is that you rely on an external server, and
your app will need an internet connection to load icons.
Using NPM
// In your terminal
npm install --save font-awesome
Once Font Awesome is added, you’ll need to include the font-awesome.css file in your project’s
resources or public directory.
// Add this line to your resources/sass/app.scss
@import '~font-awesome/css/font-awesome';
// Then run
npm run dev
Step 2: Including Font Awesome on a Blade Template
After installing Font Awesome, you can begin using it in your Blade templates. Here’s how:
<i class="fas fa-user"></i> // User icon
<i class="fab fa-laravel"></i> // Laravel icon
By adding an <i> element with the respective Font Awesome classes, you can display any icon in their library.
Step 3: Customizing Icons
Font Awesome icons are fully customizable using CSS. This includes changing the size, color, and
more. Here’s an example:
<i class="fa fa-camera-retro fa-lg"></i> // larger
<i class="fa fa-camera-retro fa-2x"></i> // 2 times larger
<i class="fa fa-camera-retro fa-3x"></i> // 3 times larger
You can also stack icons, rotate them, or make them fixed width:
<span class="fa-stack fa-2x">
<i class="fas fa-circle fa-stack-2x"></i>
<i class="fab fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse"></i>
</span>
<i class="fas fa-ban fa-2x" style="color:red"></i> // Red ban icon
Step 4: Working with JavaScript and Font Awesome
Sometimes, you may want to manipulate Font Awesome icons using JavaScript. For instance, to
change an icon on a button click. Let’s see a jQuery example:
$('#button').click(function(){
$('#icon').toggleClass('fa-play fa-pause');
});
This toggles between a play and pause icon every time the button is clicked.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learned how to incorporate Font Awesome into your Laravel applications, you
can enhance your UI with scalable icons. Remember, leveraging a well-supported library like
Font Awesome is not only about visual appeal but also about ensuring accessibility and improving
user experience.
Remember to check the versioning and upgrading notes with each new release of Font Awesome or Laravel to make sure everything continues to work properly.
As your skills grow, consider exploring the power of Font Awesome’s PRO features, SVG with JS, and other advanced customization features like layering, text, and counters.
