Why do paragraphs always fade in Webflow animations, even when set to slide in or out, grow, or shrink?

When animating text elements like paragraphs in Webflow, they often appear to "fade" even if you're applying other movement-based interactions, such as slide, grow, or shrink. This is typically due to how Webflow handles the rendering of text animations with opacity adjustments or hidden overflow settings.

1. Built-In Opacity Default in Webflow Animations

• Most Webflow animation presets (e.g., Slide In, Move, Scale) include a default opacity change from 0% to 100%.
• This causes the paragraph to fade in, even if the opacity change is not immediately obvious in the animation panel.

2. Hidden Overflow or Display Logic

• Paragraphs may be inside a container or wrapper that has overflow: hidden, which is often required for slide-in effects.
• When the paragraph moves into view, Webflow often combines this with an opacity transition, making it look like a fade even if movement is also applied.

3. Custom Animation Settings

• If you create your own interaction (e.g., in Element Trigger > Scroll Into View or Page Load), Webflow may automatically add an opacity keyframe.
• This can be edited or removed, but if left intact, you’ll see a fade effect even if you only intend position or size change.

4. Subpixel Rendering and Anti-Aliasing

• Web browsers sometimes soften or anti-alias text when it's moving or scaling.
• This can visually resemble a fade due to rendering lag or smoothing, especially with long paragraphs or thin fonts.

5. Motion Blur Illusion

• Animating text with scaling or movement without adjusting easing or duration can create a faint blur that mimics fading.
• Slower animations or those combined with opacity settings enhance this illusion.

Summary

Paragraphs often appear to fade during Webflow animations because opacity changes are automatically applied or implied in most animation presets. Check for opacity keyframes, hidden containers, and browser rendering behaviors to resolve or adjust this behavior. Use custom animations with manual keyframe control to avoid unwanted fading effects.