---
title: Bulma Customization Concepts
layout: docs
theme: customize
doc-tab: customize
doc-subtab: concepts
breadcrumb:
  - home
  - documentation
  - customize
  - customize-concepts
---

{% capture markdown %}
Bulma is a **highly customizable CSS framework**. From colors to typography, spacing and sizes, forms and layouts, all parts of Bulma can be customized by the user.

Bulma's styles and variables are defined at several levels:

* Global Sass variables
* Component Sass variables
* Global CSS variables
* Component CSS variables
* Helper classes

All Bulma components are styled using **Sass variables** and **CSS Variables** (which are also called CSS custom properties). Read more about them:
* [on the Sass website](https://sass-lang.com/documentation/variables/)
* [on the MDN Reference](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Using_CSS_custom_properties)
{% endcapture %}

{% include markdown.html content=markdown %}

{% include docs/elements/anchor.html name="Global Sass Variables" %}

{% capture markdown %}
Bulma uses Sass variables globally defined in 2 files located in the `utilities` folder:

* `initial-variables.scss` where you define variables by literal value
  * **colors** like `$blue: hsl(229, 53%, 53%)`
  * **font sizes** like `$size-1: 3rem`
  * **dimensions** like `$block-spacing: 1.5rem`
  * **breakpoints** like `$tablet: 769px`
  * **other values** like `$easing: ease-out` or `$radius-large: 0.75rem`
* `derived-variables.scss` where variables are calculated from the values set in the previous file
  * **primary colors**:
    * `$primary`
    * `$link`
    * `$success`
    * `$info`
    * `$warning`
    * `$dark`
  * **utility colors**:
    * `$background`
    * `$border`
    * `$code` and `$pre`
    * `$shadow-color`
  * **typography**:
    * `$family-primary`
    * `$family-secondary`
    * `$family-code`
    * `$size-small`
    * `$size-normal`
    * `$size-medium`
    * `$size-large`
  * color maps:
    * `$colors`
    * `$shades`
    * `$sizes`
{% endcapture %}

{% include markdown.html content=markdown %}

{% include docs/elements/anchor.html name="Component Sass variables" %}

{% capture markdown %}
All Bulma components define its own Sass variables. For example, `components/breadcrumb.scss` define the following:
{% endcapture %}

{% include markdown.html content=markdown %}

{%
  include docs/components/variables.html
  tab="components"
  subtab="breadcrumb"
  hide_css_vars=true
%}

{% include docs/elements/anchor.html name="Global CSS Variables" %}

{% capture markdown %}
Bulma uses global CSS variables defined at the `:root` level. They are all prefixed with `bulma-`:
{% endcapture %}

{% include markdown.html content=markdown %}

{% highlight css %}
:root {
  /* Colors and Lightness values */
  --bulma-scheme-h: 221;
  --bulma-scheme-s: 14%;
  --bulma-light-l: 90%;
  --bulma-light-invert-l: 20%;
  --bulma-dark-l: 20%;
  --bulma-dark-invert-l: 90%;
  --bulma-soft-l: 90%;
  --bulma-bold-l: 20%;
  --bulma-soft-invert-l: 20%;
  --bulma-bold-invert-l: 90%;
  /* etc. */

  /* Color Palettes */
  --bulma-primary: hsla(var(--bulma-primary-h), var(--bulma-primary-s), var(--bulma-primary-l), 1);
  --bulma-primary-base: hsla(var(--bulma-primary-h), var(--bulma-primary-s), var(--bulma-primary-l), 1);
  --bulma-primary-rgb: 0, 209, 178;
  --bulma-primary-h: 171deg;
  --bulma-primary-s: 100%;
  --bulma-primary-l: 41%;
  --bulma-primary-00-l: 1%;
  --bulma-primary-05-l: 6%;
  --bulma-primary-10-l: 11%;
  --bulma-primary-15-l: 16%;
  --bulma-primary-20-l: 21%;
  /* etc. */

  /* Typography */
  --bulma-family-primary: Inter, SF Pro, Segoe UI, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
  --bulma-family-secondary: Inter, SF Pro, Segoe UI, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
  --bulma-family-code: Inconsolata, Hack, SF Mono, Roboto Mono, Source Code Pro, Ubuntu Mono, monospace;
  --bulma-size-small: 0.75rem;
  --bulma-size-normal: 1rem;
  --bulma-size-medium: 1.25rem;
  --bulma-size-large: 1.5rem;
  /* etc. */
}
{% endhighlight %}

{% capture markdown %}
You can **overwrite** them simply by setting a new value at the same scope (or even a more specific one):
{% endcapture %}

{% include markdown.html content=markdown %}
{% highlight css %}
:root {
  /* Set new values */
  --bulma-scheme-h: 35;
  --bulma-scheme-s: 20%;
}
{% endhighlight %}

{% include docs/elements/anchor.html name="Components CSS Variables" %}

{% capture markdown %}
Bulma is also styled at the **component** level. For example, here is how the `.title` element is styled:
{% endcapture %}

{% include markdown.html content=markdown %}

{% highlight css %}
.title {
  --bulma-title-color: var(--bulma-text-strong);
  --bulma-title-family: false;
  --bulma-title-size: var(--bulma-size-3);
  --bulma-title-weight: var(--bulma-weight-extrabold);
  --bulma-title-line-height: 1.125;
  --bulma-title-strong-color: inherit;
  --bulma-title-strong-weight: inherit;
  --bulma-title-sub-size: 0.75em;
  --bulma-title-sup-size: 0.75em;
}

.title {
  color: var(--bulma-title-color);
  font-size: var(--bulma-title-size);
  font-weight: var(--bulma-title-weight);
  line-height: var(--bulma-title-line-height);
}
{% endhighlight %}

{% capture markdown %}
You can overwrite this simply by setting new values under the same scope:
{% endcapture %}

{% include markdown.html content=markdown %}

{% highlight css %}
.title {
  --bulma-title-color: #fff;
  --bulma-title-line-height: 1.6;
}
{% endhighlight %}