Understanding Material Icon Fonts

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 147 views

Introduction

When it comes to designing user interfaces, icons play a crucial role in enhancing the overall user experience. Material icons, in particular, have become a popular choice due to their modern and sleek design. However, incorporating these icons into buttons can be a bit tricky, especially when using icon fonts like Material Symbols Outlined. In this article, we will explore a step-by-step approach to using material icon font for buttons, addressing common issues and providing a solution that may help others.

Understanding Material Icon Fonts

Material icon fonts, such as Material Symbols Outlined, are a collection of icons that can be used in web applications. These fonts are designed to be used with HTML and CSS, allowing developers to easily incorporate icons into their designs. However, when it comes to using these fonts for buttons, there are a few challenges to overcome.

The Challenge: Using Material Icons in Buttons

When trying to add a material icon to a button, you may encounter issues with the font not rendering correctly. This can be due to the font family not being set correctly or the icon name not being recognized. In this section, we will explore a common approach to adding material icons to buttons and how to overcome the challenges associated with it.

Adding Material Icons to Buttons

To add a material icon to a button, you can use the following code snippet:

items.push({
  type: 'button',
  className: 'material-symbols-outlined-forced',
  text: 'sync',
  title: 'Update Dataview',
  onClick: updateDataview,
});

In this code snippet, we are pushing a new item to the items array, which represents a button. The className property is set to material-symbols-outlined-forced, which will be used to style the button. The text property is set to sync, which is the name of the material icon we want to use.

Styling the Button with Material Icon Font

To style the button with the material icon font, we need to add the following CSS code:

@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Material+Symbols+Outlined:opsz,wght,FILL,GRAD@24,300,0,0);

.material-symbols-outlined-forced {
  font-family: 'Material Symbols Outlined' !important
}

In this code snippet, we are importing the Material Symbols Outlined font from Google Fonts. We are then setting the font-family property of the .material-symbols-outlined-forced class to Material Symbols Outlined with the !important keyword. This will override any inherited font styles and ensure that the material icon font is used for the button.

Tips and Variations

When using material icon fonts for buttons, there are a few tips and variations to keep in mind:

Use the correct icon name: Make sure to use the correct icon name for the material icon you want to use. You can find the icon name by visiting the Google Fonts website and searching for the icon you want to use.
Adjust the font size: You can adjust the font size of the material icon font by modifying the opsz value in the CSS code. For example, to increase the font size to 36, you can change the opsz value to 36.
Use different font weights: You can use different font weights for the material icon font by modifying the wght value in the CSS code. For example, to use the bold font weight, you can change the wght value to 700.

Conclusion

In conclusion, using material icon fonts for buttons can be a bit tricky, but with the right approach, it can be achieved easily. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can add material icons to your buttons and enhance the overall user experience of your web application. Remember to use the correct icon name, adjust the font size and weight as needed, and use the !important keyword to override inherited font styles.

Common Issues and Solutions

When using material icon fonts for buttons, you may encounter the following common issues and solutions:

Issue: Font not rendering correctly: Solution: Make sure to use the correct icon name and adjust the font size and weight as needed.
Issue: Icon not displaying: Solution: Check the CSS code to ensure that the font-family property is set correctly and the !important keyword is used to override inherited font styles.
Issue: Button not responding to clicks: Solution: Check the JavaScript code to ensure that the onClick event is properly bound to the button.

Example Use Cases

Here are a few example use cases for using material icon fonts for buttons:

Navigation menu: Use material icons to create a navigation menu with buttons that display icons instead of text.
Action buttons: Use material icons to create action buttons that display icons instead of text.
Notification buttons: Use material icons to create notification buttons that display icons instead of text.

Code Snippets

Here are a few code snippets that demonstrate how to use material icon fonts for buttons:

JavaScript code:

items.push({
  type: 'button',
  className: 'material-symbols-outlined-forced',
  text: 'sync',
  title: 'Update Dataview',
  onClick: updateDataview,
});

CSS code:

@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Material+Symbols+Outlined:opsz,wght,FILL,GRAD@24,300,0,0);

.material-symbols-outlined-forced {
  font-family: 'Material Symbols Outlined' !important
}

HTML code:

<button class="material-symbols-outlined-forced" title="Update Dataview">
  <span>sync</span>
</button>

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored a step-by-step approach to using material icon font for buttons. However, we understand that you may still have some questions about this topic. In this article, we will address some of the most frequently asked questions about using material icon font for buttons.

Q: What is material icon font?

A: Material icon font is a collection of icons that can be used in web applications. These icons are designed to be used with HTML and CSS, allowing developers to easily incorporate icons into their designs.

Q: How do I add material icons to my buttons?

A: To add material icons to your buttons, you can use the following code snippet:

items.push({
  type: 'button',
  className: 'material-symbols-outlined-forced',
  text: 'sync',
  title: 'Update Dataview',
  onClick: updateDataview,
});

Q: How do I style the button with material icon font?

A: To style the button with the material icon font, you need to add the following CSS code:

@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Material+Symbols+Outlined:opsz,wght,FILL,GRAD@24,300,0,0);

.material-symbols-outlined-forced {
  font-family: 'Material Symbols Outlined' !important
}

Q: Can I use different font weights for the material icon font?

A: Yes, you can use different font weights for the material icon font by modifying the wght value in the CSS code. For example, to use the bold font weight, you can change the wght value to 700.

Q: Can I adjust the font size of the material icon font?

A: Yes, you can adjust the font size of the material icon font by modifying the opsz value in the CSS code. For example, to increase the font size to 36, you can change the opsz value to 36.

Q: What are some common issues I may encounter when using material icon font for buttons?

A: Some common issues you may encounter when using material icon font for buttons include:

Font not rendering correctly: Make sure to use the correct icon name and adjust the font size and weight as needed.
Icon not displaying: Check the CSS code to ensure that the font-family property is set correctly and the !important keyword is used to override inherited font styles.
Button not responding to clicks: Check the JavaScript code to ensure that the onClick event is properly bound to the button.

Q: Can I use material icon font for other elements besides buttons?

A: Yes, you can use material icon font for other elements besides buttons. You can use the same CSS code to style other elements, such as links, spans, or divs.

Q: Where can I find more information about material icon font?

A: You can find more information about material icon font on the Google Fonts website. You can also check out the official documentation for more information on how to use material icon font in your web applications.

Conclusion

In conclusion, using material icon font for buttons can be a bit tricky, but with the right approach, it can be achieved easily. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can add material icons to your buttons and enhance the overall user experience of your web application. Remember to use the correct icon name, adjust the font size and weight as needed, and use the !important keyword to override inherited font styles.