You're viewing docs for v5.15.4, an older version of Font Awesome.
Our duotone style works just like all of our other icons. On top of that, they provide a version of every icon in Font Awesome that has two distinct shades of color. They're great for adding more of your brand or an illustrative quality to the icons in your project.
Duotone icons use the same syntax Font Awesome icons and can be referenced like any other icon using their specific style prefix (fad).
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-camera"></i> <!-- a duotone style camera icon -->
<i class="fad fa-fire-alt"></i> <!-- a duotone style fire-alt icon -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt"></i> <!-- a duotone style bus-alt icon -->
<i class="fad fa-fill-drip"></i> <!-- a duotone style fill-drip icon -->
</div>
You can swap the default opacity of each duotone icon's layers. This will make an icon's primary layer have the default opacity of 40% rather than its secondary layer.
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-camera"></i> <!-- a duotone style camera icon -->
<i class="fad fa-camera fa-swap-opacity"></i> <!-- a duotone style camera icon with swapped opacity -->
<i class="fad fa-fire-alt"></i> <!-- a duotone style fire-alt icon -->
<i class="fad fa-fire-alt fa-swap-opacity"></i> <!-- a duotone style fire-alt icon with swapped opacity -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt"></i> <!-- a duotone style bus-alt icon -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt fa-swap-opacity"></i> <!-- a duotone style bus-alt icon with swapped opacity -->
</div>
By default, the secondary layer in a duotone icon is set to 40% opacity (via an opacity 0.4; rule in Font Awesome's support CSS). You can explicitly set the opacity of a duotone icon's layer by using the CSS custom properties (opens new window) below. New to custom properties? Here are some recommendations on using them in a project.
| Properties | CSS Custom Property | Accepted Values |
|---|---|---|
| Set Primary Layer Opacity | --fa-primary-opacity | 0 1.0 |
| Set Secondary Layer Opacity | --fa-secondary-opacity | 0 1.0 |
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 0.20"></i> <!-- secondary layer's opacity set to 20% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 0.40"></i> <!-- secondary layer's opacity set to 40% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 0.60"></i> <!-- secondary layer's opacity set to 60% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 0.80"></i> <!-- secondary layer's opacity set to 80% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0"></i> <!-- secondary layer's opacity set to 100% -->
</div>
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-primary-opacity: 0.20"></i> <!-- primary layer's opacity set to 20% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-primary-opacity: 0.40"></i> <!-- primary layer's opacity set to 40% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-primary-opacity: 0.60"></i> <!-- primary layer's opacity set to 60% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-primary-opacity: 0.80"></i> <!-- primary layer's opacity set to 80% -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-primary-opacity: 1.0"></i> <!-- primary layer's opacity set to 100% -->
</div>
Like all other Font Awesome icons, duotone icons automatically inherit CSS size and color. A duotone icon consists of a primary and secondary layer. By default, The secondary layer is given an opacity of 40% so that it appears as a lighter shade of the icon's inherited or directly set color.
Using CSS custom properties (opens new window), we've also added some color hooks to a duotone icon's primary and secondary layers. New to custom properties? Here are some places to set them.
| Properties | CSS Custom Property | Accepted Values |
|---|---|---|
| Set Primary Layer Color | --fa-primary-color | Any valid CSS color value (opens new window) |
| Set Secondary Layer Color | --fa-secondary-color | Any valid CSS color value (opens new window) |
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-primary-color: gold;"></i> <!-- primary layer color defined -->
<i class="fad fa-bus-alt" style="--fa-primary-color: orangered;"></i> <!-- primary layer color defined -->
<i class="fad fa-fill-drip" style="--fa-secondary-color: limegreen;"></i> <!-- secondary layer color defined -->
<i class="fad fa-fill-drip" style="--fa-secondary-color: rebeccapurple;"></i> <!-- secondary layer color defined -->
<i class="fad fa-battery-full" style="--fa-primary-color: limegreen; --fa-secondary-color: dimgray;"></i> <!-- secondary + primary layer color defined -->
<i class="fad fa-battery-quarter" style="--fa-primary-color: orange; --fa-secondary-color: dimgray;"></i> <!-- secondary + primary layer color defined -->
</div>
When you combine all of the coloring, opacity, and other options together, Font Awesome icons get even more awesome. Here are a few ideas on how duotone icons can take your project to the next level.
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-book" style="--fa-primary-color: lightseagreen; --fa-secondary-color: linen; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-book-spells" style="--fa-primary-color: mediumpurple; --fa-secondary-color: linen; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-book-medical" style="--fa-primary-color: crimson; --fa-secondary-color: linen; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-book-user" style="--fa-primary-color: peru; --fa-secondary-color: linen; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-toggle-off" style="--fa-primary-color: white; --fa-secondary-color: gray; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-toggle-on" style="--fa-primary-color: dodgerblue; --fa-secondary-color: white; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-file-plus" style="--fa-primary-color: white; --fa-secondary-color: limegreen; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-file-exclamation" style="--fa-primary-color: white; --fa-secondary-color: gold; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-file-times" style="--fa-primary-color: white; --fa-secondary-color: tomato; --fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;"></i>
</div>
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-crow" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0; --fa-primary-color: dodgerblue; --fa-secondary-color: gold;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-campfire" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0; --fa-primary-color: sienna; --fa-secondary-color: red;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-birthday-cake" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0; --fa-primary-color: pink; --fa-secondary-color: palevioletred;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-ear" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0; --fa-primary-color: sandybrown; --fa-secondary-color: bisque;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-corn" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0; --fa-primary-color: mediumseagreen; --fa-secondary-color: gold;"></i>
<i class="fad fa-cookie-bite" style="--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0; --fa-primary-color: saddlebrown; --fa-secondary-color: burlywood;"></i>
</div>
<style>
.theme-ravenclaw {
--fa-secondary-opacity: 1.0;
--fa-primary-color: rgb(4, 56, 161);
--fa-secondary-color: rgb(108, 108, 108);
}
</style>
<div class="fa-3x">
<i class="fad fa-hat-wizard theme-ravenclaw"></i>
<i class="fad fa-flask-potion theme-ravenclaw"></i>
<i class="fad fa-wand-magic theme-ravenclaw"></i>
<i class="fad fa-scarf theme-ravenclaw"></i>
<i class="fad fa-book-spells theme-ravenclaw"></i>
</div>
CSS custom properties (opens new window) are still a pretty new thing for most folks.
You can define duotone icons' custom properties at CSS :root pseudo-class (opens new window) level. This will make any duotone icons you include inherit the properties by default.
<!-- by default, everything will be in the holiday spirit -->
<style>
:root {
--fa-primary-color: green;
--fa-secondary-color: red;
}
</style>
<i class="fad fa-holly-berry"></i>
<i class="fad fa-wreath"></i>
<i class="fad fa-candy-cane"></i>
You can also set custom properties inside of your project's CSS, in the <head> of a page or in a separate stylesheet. These properties will be scoped to just elements that match the selector of the rule you've included them in. This technique is great for theming in general and when you may not have easy access to the raw HTML of your project.
<!-- setting a rule for house styling -->
<style>
.theme-slytherin {
--fa-primary-color: darkgreen;
--fa-secondary-color: silver;
}
</style>
<i class="fad fa-wand-magic theme-slytherin"></i>
<i class="fad fa-scarf theme-slytherin"></i>
<i class="fad fa-book-spells theme-slytherin"></i>
Many of the examples in these docs define CSS custom properties using inline styling by adding a style attribute to an element. This is best for one-offs or very custom colored/styled duotone icons that you won't need to change at a system level.
<!-- using inline styles to define duotone icon custom properties -->
<i class="fad fa-crow" style="--fa-primary-color: dodgerblue; --fa-secondary-color: gold;"></i>
Because duotone icons are made up of two layers with different color values, they can be more like illustrations than other Font Awesome styles and need extra care for accessibility.
Since they are more complex visually, duotone icons may be harder to read at smaller sizes. In addition to that, the colors and opacity you choose for each icon's layers can also affect their legibility. Some tips for improving legibility and accessibility:
| Properties | Syntax | Values | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set Primary Layer Opacity | --fa-primary-opacity | 0 1.0 | Use as a CSS custom property (opens new window) |
| Set Secondary Layer Opacity | --fa-secondary-opacity | 0 1.0 | Use as a CSS custom property (opens new window) |
| Set Primary Layer Color | --fa-primary-color | Any valid CSS color value (opens new window) | Use as a CSS custom property (opens new window) |
| Set Secondary Layer Color | --fa-secondary-color | Any valid CSS color value (opens new window) | Use as a CSS custom property (opens new window) |
| Swap Layers' Opacity | fa-swap-opacity | N/A | Add alongside other Font Awesome-specific classes to <i> |
Yes, the duotone icon style can be used alongside CSS pseudo-elements. Doing so is even more complicated than the base difficulty of rendering icons with CSS pseudo-elements. It's recommended only for those who can't control the final markup of their site/project as well as ninjas who want complete control over their markup.
Let's double-check a few things.
fad style prefix?<head>.Make sure you're using the correct custom property values. Also, make sure you haven't defined a custom property that may be overriding things (check inline and in your custom CSS). We don't recommend writing custom CSS to target a specific class or pseudo-element — there are some differences between our Web Fonts and SVG versions of Font Awesome that can make this tricky.
If you're using the SVG + JS version of Font Awesome, our power transforms and layering let you do some pretty amazing stuff. And you can use things like sizing, fixed-width icons, and animations with duotone icons, too.
Duotone icons render great in all modern web browsers. Since Internet Explorer versions 10 and 11 do not support CSS Custom properties, duotone icons will still render in that browser but you won't be able to define colors or opacity for individual layers. If you must support that outdated browser, we recommend defining the color on the icon or its parent element instead.