Tailwind CSS Border Style Tutorial for Beginners

Borders help define structure in UI design. Whether you are designing buttons, cards, forms, or section dividers — border styles add visual clarity and hierarchy.

In this tutorial, you will learn:

How to apply different border styles
How to remove borders
How to use divide utilities
How to apply responsive border styles

Let’s start step by step.

What is Border Style in CSS?

Border style defines how the border line looks.

Traditional CSS example:

border-style: solid;

In Tailwind CSS, you apply border style directly using utility classes.

Example:

<div class="border-2 border-solid"></div>

Simple and clean.

Applying Basic Border Styles

Tailwind provides the following border-style utilities:

border-solid
border-dashed
border-dotted
border-double
border-hidden
border-none

You must combine them with a border width like border or border-2.

Example: Different Border Styles (Using CDN)

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://cdn.tailwindcss.com"></script>
</head>
<body class="bg-gray-100 p-10 space-y-4">

  <div class="border-2 border-solid p-4">
    Solid Border
  </div>

  <div class="border-2 border-dashed p-4">
    Dashed Border
  </div>

  <div class="border-2 border-dotted p-4">
    Dotted Border
  </div>

  <div class="border-4 border-double p-4">
    Double Border
  </div>

</body>
</html>

This demonstrates the most commonly used border styles in real projects.

Removing a Border

Sometimes you may want to remove an existing border.

Use:

border-none

Example:

<button class="border-none bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2">
  Save Changes
</button>

This is commonly used when overriding default styles.

Using Divide Utilities

Divide utilities apply borders between child elements.

Instead of adding borders manually to each child, Tailwind provides:

divide-solid
divide-dashed
divide-dotted
divide-double
divide-hidden
divide-none

These are usually combined with divide-x or divide-y.

Example: Dividing Columns

<div class="grid grid-cols-3 divide-x-2 divide-dashed divide-indigo-500 text-center">
  <div class="p-4">01</div>
  <div class="p-4">02</div>
  <div class="p-4">03</div>
</div>

This creates dashed vertical borders between grid columns.

Example: Dividing Rows

<div class="divide-y-2 divide-solid divide-gray-400">
  <div class="p-4">Item 1</div>
  <div class="p-4">Item 2</div>
  <div class="p-4">Item 3</div>
</div>

This adds horizontal dividers between items.

Responsive Border Styles

Tailwind follows a mobile-first approach.

You can apply different border styles at different screen sizes.

Example:

<div class="border-2 border-solid md:border-dotted p-6">
  Border changes on medium screen
</div>

Explanation:

Mobile → solid border
Medium screens and above → dotted border

This is useful in responsive layouts.

Best Practices for Beginners

If you are learning Tailwind CSS:

Always combine border style with border width
Use divide utilities for clean layouts
Avoid using too many decorative border styles
Use border-none carefully to override styles
Keep design minimal and consistent

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the default border style in Tailwind?

The default border style is solid.

Why is my border not visible?

Because you must set border width:

border border-solid

border-2 border-dashed

What is divide-x in Tailwind?

divide-x adds vertical borders between child elements.

Can I apply border style only on desktop?

Yes:

md:border-dotted

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