Use when revealing content with masked motion, clipped transitions, or layered entrances.
Real-world examples
Live HTML demos for this skill — rendered directly in the page. 4 examples.
- 01
Hero headline reveal
A full-page scroll cue into a hero line that splits into word masks and rises through overflow at ScrollTrigger start top 82%.
- 02
Section title cascade
Multiple short section intros each run once as they enter view — same yPercent 110→0 stagger, calm editorial pacing.
- 03
Editorial label + dek
Magazine-style kicker and dek lines use masked word reveals; body copy stays unsplit per the skill taste rules.
- 04
Product feature leads
Short feature headlines reveal word-by-word on scroll with power3.out and 0.035s stagger; reduced-motion shows static text.
Skill markdown
# Masked Reveal
## Use When
- A headline or short text block needs a premium reveal on scroll.
- Words should rise through an invisible mask with a staggered sequence.
- The project already uses GSAP or needs ScrollTrigger-based motion.
## Motion Defaults
- Trigger: start when the text top reaches `82%` of the viewport.
- Duration: `0.7s` to `0.9s`.
- Stagger: `0.025s` to `0.045s` per word.
- Offset: `yPercent: 110` to `0`.
- Ease: `power3.out` or `expo.out`.
- Replay: reveal once by default.
## HTML
```html
<h1 class="masked-reveal" data-masked-reveal>
Design systems that feel alive from the first scroll.
</h1>
```
## CSS Mask
```css
.masked-reveal {
visibility: visible;
}
html.js .masked-reveal[data-masked-reveal] {
visibility: hidden;
}
html.js .masked-reveal.is-split {
visibility: visible;
}
.masked-reveal .word-mask {
display: inline-block;
overflow: hidden;
vertical-align: top;
}
.masked-reveal .word {
display: inline-block;
transform: translateY(110%);
will-change: transform;
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
html.js .masked-reveal[data-masked-reveal] {
visibility: visible;
}
.masked-reveal .word {
transform: none;
}
}
```
## GSAP ScrollTrigger
This helper avoids the paid SplitText plugin and keeps spaces intact.
```js
document.documentElement.classList.add("js");
gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);
function escapeHTML(value) {
return value
.replace(/&/g, "&")
.replace(/</g, "<")
.replace(/>/g, ">")
.replace(/"/g, """)
.replace(/'/g, "'");
}
function splitMaskedReveal(element) {
if (element.dataset.maskedRevealReady === "true") return;
const text = element.textContent.trim();
element.setAttribute("aria-label", text);
element.innerHTML = text
.split(/(\s+)/)
.map((part) => {
if (!part.trim()) return part;
return `<span class="word-mask" aria-hidden="true"><span class="word">${escapeHTML(part)}</span></span>`;
})
.join("");
element.dataset.maskedRevealReady = "true";
element.classList.add("is-split");
}
function initMaskedReveals(selector = "[data-masked-reveal]") {
if (window.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches) return;
document.querySelectorAll(selector).forEach((element) => {
splitMaskedReveal(element);
const words = element.querySelectorAll(".word");
gsap.set(element, { autoAlpha: 1 });
gsap.fromTo(
words,
{ yPercent: 110 },
{
yPercent: 0,
duration: 0.8,
ease: "power3.out",
stagger: 0.035,
scrollTrigger: {
trigger: element,
start: "top 82%",
once: true,
},
}
);
});
}
initMaskedReveals();
```
## React Cleanup Pattern
```js
useLayoutEffect(() => {
const ctx = gsap.context(() => {
initMaskedReveals("[data-masked-reveal]");
}, rootRef);
return () => ctx.revert();
}, []);
```
## Taste Rules
- Use on short headlines, labels, and section intros; avoid long paragraphs.
- Keep the vertical offset clean. Do not combine with blur unless the style explicitly calls for it.
- Stagger by word, not letter, for a calmer editorial feel.
- Initialize after fonts are loaded if line wrapping is critical.
- Use `ScrollTrigger.refresh()` after late-loading images or layout shifts.
- Do not split text that contains links, buttons, or meaningful inline markup.
## Quick Checks
- Text is hidden before GSAP initializes, then becomes visible with `autoAlpha: 1`.
- Screen readers get the original full text through `aria-label`.
- Spaces between words are preserved.
- Reduced-motion users see static text.
- ScrollTrigger is cleaned up in SPA routes.More from MengTo
- Animation On ScrollUse when you need scroll-driven motion that feels intentional instead of noisy or overdone.
- Animation SystemsUse when building a coherent animation system instead of one-off motion tweaks.
- Beautiful ShadowsUse when a UI needs better depth, elevation, and shadow treatment without looking muddy.
- CobejsUse when building lightweight animated globe or orb visuals with Cobe.
- Company LogosUse when laying out logos, trust rows, or brand collections in a clean and balanced way.
- Container LinesUse when using borders and container structure as part of the visual system.