Pro
Fluid ink
Ink dropped in still water. The pointer stirs it into curling trails that swirl, thin out and fade, and a slow plume rises on its own so there is always something drifting. Content placed inside sits above it.
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add @caliper/fluid-inkWhen to use
Use it for
- The hero of a studio, brand or creative-tool page.
- A sign-in or waitlist backdrop that should feel alive but quiet.
Skip it when
- Behind long text or forms; keep content short and solid.
- Low-power contexts; it is a real simulation and costs more than a drawing.
Decisions
Why it is built this way, so you know what to keep when you change your copy.
Behaviour
- A real fluid, small
- Stable fluids on a coarse grid (advection, pressure projection, vorticity confinement), drawn smooth; under 100 cells across keeps it inside a frame budget.
Styling
- Ink, not colour
- Density is drawn in the theme's ink with a soft curve, so wisps stay visible and dense ink never turns solid.
Installation
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add @caliper/fluid-ink
Adds its 4 files to components/ui/, each with its own stylesheet, and installs their packages. Pro installs with your access token, set up once per project. See Pro access. The first part also adds Caliper UI’s tokens; import them once as in Installation.
Usage
Import it from your copy of the source. The example behind the preview comes with the source.
import { FluidInk } from "@/components/ui/fluid-ink"
The worked example comes with Pro
The 18-line example behind the preview opens here, ready to copy.
- 576 Pro parts, blocks and page templates, all with source
- $199 once, with a year of updates. What you have stays yours
- A full refund within 14 days if it is not for you
API reference
FluidInk
component
Also accepts the native props of its root element and a ref.
Accessibility
It is built on native elements and keeps aria-hidden and aria-pressed in step with state.
No custom key handling; Tab and the native activation keys do the work.
Motion
It declares no animation in its component source. Any transition comes from its stylesheet, which uses the duration tokens that collapse to instant under prefers-reduced-motion.
Related
- Flow fieldFine ink strands drifting through a slowly turning current, like iron filings or wind on a weather map. The pointer stirs an eddy that the strands bend around. Content placed inside sits above it.
- Shader backgroundA GPU-drawn animated background.
- Ink spoilerText kept under a fine drifting ink until it is asked for. Press it and the ink blows outward from where you pressed while the words come through; press again to cover them.