Customizing the Mouse Pointer

Direct Styling Limitations

Default Behavior: Browsers do not allow you to directly change the size or color of the default system mouse pointer.
Solution: To change its appearance, you must supply a custom image (typically a PNG or CUR file) that has your desired size and color.

Using a Custom Cursor Image

1. Create Your Custom Cursor Image: Design an image with the desired size and color. For best results:

• Use the .cur format for Windows for full functionality.
• You can also use a transparent PNG, but note that support might vary across browsers.

Apply It in CSS:

.custom-cursor {
  /* The numbers (e.g., 16 16) specify the hotspot (the click point) coordinates */
  cursor: url('path/to/custom-cursor.png') 16 16, auto;
}

Explanation:

• The url('path/to/custom-cursor.png') specifies the custom image.
• 16 16 indicates the hotspot position (you can adjust these numbers as needed).
• auto is a fallback to the default cursor if the custom one fails to load.

Usage in HTML:

<div class="custom-cursor">
  Hover over this area to see the custom cursor.
</div>

2. Customizing the Text Input Caret

If you’re referring to the blinking text insertion point (the caret) inside text inputs or editable elements, CSS provides a property to change its color:

Changing the Caret Color

input, textarea, [contenteditable="true"] {
  caret-color: red; /* Change 'red' to any valid CSS color value */
}

Note:

The caret-color property only affects the color.
The size (height or thickness) of the caret is typically controlled by the element’s font size and browser defaults, and there isn’t a standard CSS property to change its size directly.

robinivi