How To Make Rounded Tabs In Nav Menu

by Matt on June 24, 2009


This an Advanced Tutorial!

Thesis 1.6 Update!

Here is some updated code to make your rounded tabs Thesis 1.6 compliant:

body.custom { background: #eee; padding-top: 3em; }
.custom #header { border-left: 1px #ccc solid; border-right: 1px #ccc solid; border-top: 1px #ccc solid; }
	.custom #header #logo { text-indent: -9999px; }
	.custom #header #tagline { text-indent: -9999px; }
.custom .menu { border: none; }
	.custom .menu li a { /*---[ insert "border-radius" declarations here" ]---*/ }
	.custom .menu .tab-home a { border-left: 1px solid #ddd; }
.custom .menu li ul li a { -moz-border-radius: 0em; -webkit-border-radius: 0em; }

In this video, I show you how to make rounded tabs in the nav menu. As I explain, there are a few lines of CSS I wrote prior to recording the video in order to make the tab effect more noticeable. Here they are:

body.custom { background: #eee; padding-top: 3em; }
.custom #header { border-left: 1px #ccc solid; border-right: 1px #ccc solid; border-top: 1px #ccc solid; }
	.custom #header #logo { text-indent: -9999px; }
	.custom #header #tagline { text-indent: -9999px; }
.custom #tabs { background: #eee; border-left: none; border-bottom: none; }
	.custom #tabs li { background: #ccc; border: none; **add round corners declarations here** }
.custom .current_page_item { padding-bottom: 0em; }

Please Note: Internet Explorer does not support this technique! If you use IE, get Firefox immediately.

{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

Vickie June 25, 2009 at 2:53 pm

Matt, THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this tutorial! I am re-learning css after years away from it; I’m also learning Thesis, and was able to insert this code quite easily as well as modify it a tad more (most just to see if I could). I had just designed a site that would use rounded corner tabs, and here comes your tutorial! I’m hoping it will work for me in the long run for this particular site, but now I have an additional skillset I’ll be able to apply anywhere.

Vickie

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Matt June 25, 2009 at 4:17 pm

You’re very welcome! Feel free to submit any additional questions to thesistutor@gmail.com. I just wish the rounded corners worked in Internet Explorer. Oh, well…

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kristarella June 26, 2009 at 1:46 am

Very nice video! Not rambling at all, I love that in a video. Very cool captions on it too (what did you use to make those?).

I think border-radius is going to be the official CSS3 style for that, so I usually stick that in as well just in case… So sad that IE8 didn’t bother to support any CSS3 because it’s not “finalised” yet.

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Louise January 23, 2010 at 12:47 pm

What if I don’t have Dreamweaver?

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Matt January 23, 2010 at 2:01 pm

@Louise
You can use any text editor, including Thesis’ built in “File Editor.”

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Laura December 2, 2010 at 7:47 am

Thanks Matt it works. Only problem is I have a patterned background, is there anyway of getting the white behind the top corners of the tabs to disappear?

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Matt December 5, 2010 at 7:17 pm

mind to share the link?

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laura December 6, 2010 at 7:42 am

Sorry it’s http://weddingsphotographerkent.com/

I think I worked it out, I just hope it doesn’t affect my header now.

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Angela July 29, 2011 at 11:46 am

Hi Matt
Great tuts!
I’ve learned a lot from your very thorough and helpful tutorials. I currently have a request from a client for a specific nav menu styling. I cannot seem to get it quite right.
Would you be so kind as to view the image of what is requested and if possible provide me the code I need to use to achieve this in Thesis?
I thank you so much in advance.
The image can be viewed here http://www.absolutewebmastersinc.com/nav.png
Thanks again.
Angela

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