Themes in Syncfusion React Components

Syncfusion React components provide comprehensive theming support with modern, customizable themes. This skill guides you through applying themes, customizing appearance, implementing dark mode, using CSS variables, managing icons, and creating custom themes for consistent, professional React applications.

Table of Contents

• Documentation and Navigation Guide
• Quick Start
• Common Patterns

Documentation and Navigation Guide

Built-in Themes

📄 Read: references/built-in-themes.md

• Available 10+ themes
• Applying themes via npm packages, CDN, or individual component styles
• Optimized (lite) CSS files for reduced bundle size

Migrating Styles from Component Packages to Theme Packages

📄 Read: references/migration-styles.md

• Migrate from component packages to theme packages
• SCSS & CSS Reference migration to theme packages
• Automatic dependency inclusion via index files

Dark Mode Implementation

📄 Read: references/dark-mode.md

• Global dark mode with e-dark-mode class
• Per-component dark mode
• Runtime theme switching with checkboxes or toggle buttons

CSS Variables Customization

📄 Read: references/css-variables.md

• CSS variable structure for each theme (Material 3, Fluent 2, Bootstrap 5.3, Tailwind 3.4)
• Customizing primary, success, warning, danger, info colors
• Runtime color modification with JavaScript
• Theme-specific variable formats (RGB vs hex values)

Icon Library

📄 Read: references/icons.md

• Setting up the icon library (npm or CDN)
• Using icons with e-icons class
• Icon sizing (small, medium, large)
• Customizing icon color and appearance
• Available icon sets per theme

Size Modes

📄 Read: references/advanced-theming.md

• Normal vs touch (bigger) size modes
• Enabling size modes globally or per-component
• Runtime size mode switching

Advanced Features

📄 Read: references/advanced-theming.md

• Styled-components integration
• Font customization across all components
• Theme Studio for custom theme creation

Quick Start

Install and Apply a Theme

Step 1: Install Syncfusion React Package and theme package

npm install @syncfusion/ej2-react-buttons@latest @syncfusion/ej2-tailwind3-theme@latest --save

Step 2: Import Theme CSS

Option 1: Import from npm theme packages (Recommended)

/* src/App.css */
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-tailwind3-theme/styles/button/index.css";

Option 2: Use CDN

⚠️ Important: The CDN version MUST match your installed npm package version to avoid style and rendering issues.

To find your installed version:

npm list @syncfusion/ej2-react-buttons

Then use the matching CDN version:

<!-- index.html -->
<!-- Replace {VERSION} with your installed package version (e.g., 28.1.33, 33.1.44) -->
<link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/{VERSION}/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet"/>

<!-- Example: If your package version is 33.1.44 -->
<link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/33.1.44/tailwind3.css" rel="stylesheet"/>

Note: Using npm imports (Option 1) is recommended as it automatically keeps CSS and JavaScript versions in sync.

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Apply Dark Mode Globally

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { CheckBoxComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-buttons';
import { ButtonComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-buttons';

function App() {
  const [isDarkMode, setIsDarkMode] = useState(false);

  const handleDarkModeToggle = (event) => {
    const checked = event.checked ?? false;
    setIsDarkMode(checked);
    
    if (checked) {
      document.body.classList.add('e-dark-mode');
    } else {
      document.body.classList.remove('e-dark-mode');
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <CheckBoxComponent 
        label="Enable Dark Mode" 
        checked={isDarkMode} 
        change={handleDarkModeToggle}
      />
      <ButtonComponent cssClass="e-primary">Sample Button</ButtonComponent>
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;

Pattern 2: Customize Primary Color with CSS Variables

For Fluent 2 Theme:

/* src/App.css */
:root {
  --color-sf-primary: #ff6b35;  /* Custom orange */
}

For Material 3 Theme (uses RGB values):

/* src/App.css */
:root {
  --color-sf-primary: 255, 107, 53;  /* RGB: Custom orange */
}

Pattern 3: Enable Touch Mode Globally

<!-- index.html -->
<body class="e-bigger">
  <div id="root"></div>
</body>

Or per-component:

<ButtonComponent cssClass="e-bigger">Touch-Friendly Button</ButtonComponent>

Pattern 4: Use Optimized CSS for Faster Loading

/* src/App.css - Lite version without bigger mode styles */
@import "@syncfusion/ej2-tailwind3-theme/styles/tailwind3-lite.css";

Pattern 5: Use Icons from Syncfusion Library

Install icons package:

You can install either the icons package or the theme package:

npm install @syncfusion/ej2-icons@latest

/* or */

npm install @syncfusion/ej2-tailwind3-theme@latest

Import icon styles:

/* src/App.css */
/* Syncfusion theme package icon styles */
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-tailwind3-theme/styles/icons/tailwind3.css";

/* or */

/* Syncfusion components package icon styles */
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-icons/styles/tailwind3.css";

Use icons in components:

<span className="e-icons e-cut"></span>
<span className="e-icons e-medium e-copy"></span>
<span className="e-icons e-large e-paste"></span>