Typography Decorations with Pseudo-elements

What You'll Create

Decorative elements added before or after text using pseudo-elements - gradient ovals, icons, images, or custom shapes that enhance your typography without extra HTML blocks.

The Problem It Solves

Adding decorative flourishes to headings or links normally requires image blocks or complex layouts. When you want inline decorations that flow with text and scale appropriately, CSS pseudo-elements with background images or gradients are the cleanest solution.

Perfect For

Brand accents, Heading decorations, Link embellishments, Visual flourishes, Custom bullets

What Makes This Different

This technique uses ::before and ::after pseudo-elements with either gradient backgrounds or background-image properties. Target specific links using URL selectors, and the decorations appear inline with your text without adding extra blocks.

Details

• Section Type: Fluid & Classic

• Code Type: CSS

• Prerequisites: Links with target URL keywords

• Toolkit Title: Type Decors using Pseudo-elements

Learn This Technique

This is one of 150+ code techniques taught inside Standout Squarespace, where you get:

• The complete, copy-paste code

• Video walkthrough explaining how it works

• The principles behind the technique so you can customize it

• Access to our private community for support