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React Fuzzy Text Effect

Canvas-based text effect that creates fuzzy, distorted text with hover interactions. Perfect for glitchy, cyberpunk-style typography.

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Most text effects are limited to CSS transforms that feel predictable and static. This component creates dynamic fuzzy distortion effects using canvas rendering with pixel-level manipulation, making text feel alive and cyberpunk-inspired.

Canvas-based fuzzy distortion

Text that creates dynamic fuzzy effects with hover intensity control:

Loading component...

Built with TypeScript for React applications, using HTML5 Canvas for pixel-perfect text rendering and real-time distortion effects with mouse interaction detection.

Installation

npx shadcn@latest add https://www.shadcn.io/registry/fuzzy-text.json
npx shadcn@latest add https://www.shadcn.io/registry/fuzzy-text.json
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add https://www.shadcn.io/registry/fuzzy-text.json
bunx shadcn@latest add https://www.shadcn.io/registry/fuzzy-text.json

Usage

import FuzzyText from "@/components/text/fuzzy-text";

<div className="flex items-center justify-center min-h-screen w-full p-4 sm:p-8 bg-black">
  <div className="relative w-full flex items-center justify-center px-4 sm:px-12">
    <FuzzyText
      fontSize="clamp(3rem, 12vw, 8rem)"
      fontWeight={900}
      color="#ffffff"
      enableHover={true}
      baseIntensity={0.18}
      hoverIntensity={0.5}
    >
      shadcn/ui
    </FuzzyText>
  </div>
</div>;

Why CSS effects aren't enough

Traditional text effects rely on CSS filters or transforms—static approaches that can't create the dynamic, pixel-level distortion that makes text feel truly glitchy. Basic blur or skew effects lack the random, organic quality that makes cyberpunk aesthetics compelling.

This React component uses HTML5 Canvas to render text with pixel-perfect control, creating fuzzy distortion by randomly shifting horizontal slices of the text. The effect responds to hover states with increased intensity, making typography feel interactive and alive.

The key insight: canvas-based effects enable pixel-level control. When text distortion happens at the individual pixel level with random variations, it creates more convincing glitch effects than CSS alone can achieve.

Features

  • Real-time canvas rendering with pixel-level text distortion and horizontal slice manipulation
  • Interactive hover detection with customizable base and hover intensity levels
  • Responsive font sizing with clamp support and automatic text measurement calculations
  • Custom font family and weight support with proper font loading detection
  • Touch device compatibility with preventDefault handling for mobile interactions
  • Performance optimized with requestAnimationFrame and proper cleanup mechanisms
  • Free open source component compatible with Next.js and shadcn/ui design systems

API Reference

FuzzyText

Canvas-based fuzzy text component with hover interactions.

PropTypeDefaultDescription
childrenReact.ReactNode-Text content to display
fontSizenumber | string'clamp(2rem, 8vw, 8rem)'Font size (px number or CSS string)
fontWeightstring | number900Font weight value
fontFamilystring'inherit'Font family name
colorstring'#fff'Text fill color
enableHoverbooleantrueEnable hover intensity changes
baseIntensitynumber0.18Base distortion intensity (0-1)
hoverIntensitynumber0.5Hover distortion intensity (0-1)

Intensity Levels

Distortion effect intensity settings:

LevelRangeVisual EffectBest For
Subtle0.05-0.2Light fuzz, readableBody text, subtle accents
Medium0.2-0.4Noticeable glitchHeaders, emphasis text
Heavy0.4-0.8Strong distortionDisplay text, dramatic effects
Extreme0.8-1.0Maximum chaosArtistic, abstract displays

Font Configuration

Typography customization options:

PropertyTypeEffectExample
fontSizestringResponsive sizing'clamp(2rem, 8vw, 8rem)'
fontWeightnumberText thickness100 (thin) to 900 (black)
fontFamilystringTypeface'Inter', 'Roboto Mono'
colorstringText color'#ffffff', 'rgb(255,0,0)'

Common gotchas

Canvas not rendering: The component waits for font loading to complete. If using custom fonts, ensure they're properly loaded via CSS @font-face or Google Fonts before the component mounts.

Performance issues on mobile: Canvas rendering with pixel manipulation is computationally intensive. Consider reducing intensity values or disabling the effect on low-powered devices using media queries or user agent detection.

Text appears blurry: Canvas elements need proper scaling for high-DPI displays. The component handles this automatically, but custom styling might interfere with pixel ratio calculations.

Hover detection not working: The component calculates interactive areas based on text bounding boxes. Very italic fonts or extreme letter spacing might affect hover detection accuracy. Test with your specific font choices.

Memory leaks with frequent rerenders: The component includes proper cleanup mechanisms, but frequent prop changes can cause performance issues. Consider memoizing props or limiting re-renders when possible.

Integration with other components

Perfect for hero sections with dramatic typography or accent elements in Card layouts. The glitchy aesthetic works excellently in dark themes and cyberpunk-inspired designs where high contrast makes the effect most visible.

For creative interfaces, combine with Badge components for glitchy status indicators or Button components with matching aesthetic. The component pairs well with other text effects for layered typography and works beautifully in Dialog modals for dramatic reveals.

Questions developers actually ask