Removing Padding Around Product Images on Mobile: Our Journey with Shopify's Dawn Theme

A while back, on a cloudy Tuesday morning, while sipping some over-brewed coffee that tasted like regret, we found ourselves knee-deep in Shopify's labyrinth of customization. There was a mission at hand—one that seemed so simple yet proved as elusive as a cat when you want to cuddle it. Our goal? To eliminate that pesky padding around product images on mobile devices while using the Dawn Theme version 15.1—a feat easier said than done.

When the Slide Counts Lie

Picture this: you've spent countless hours fiddling with the code, thinking you've nailed it. Everything seems perfect; the image edges are finally flush against the screen. But then, that little slider counter turns into a taunting goblin, displaying more images than you've actually uploaded. Remember those four carefully curated shots? Well, say hello to the phantom fifth image—or as we lovingly began to call it, our unwanted ghost guest.

We began with this code, filled with hope and the aura of sweet success:

<style>
@media (max-width: 749px) {
  .slider.slider--mobile {
    scroll-padding-left: 0 !important;
  }
  .slider.slider--mobile .slider__slide {
    padding-top: 0px !important;
    width: 100% !important;
  }
}
</style>

The result? Exactly what we wanted, visually. But alas, our four-image slideshow morphed into a deceptive five.

Decoding the Padding Mystery

To slay the padding demon while avoiding a misleading image count, we had to dig deeper (like rooting around the fridge at midnight). Our discovery? The solution required a two-pronged attack: both CSS tinkering and some JavaScript wizardry to correct the slide count.

Revisit the CSS:

Let's ensure no excessive padding that may disrupt layout. Our friend, CSS, needed more specificity to behave. We started by tweaking the CSS, making sure mobile sliders gobbled up the full screen width without adding any unnecessary padding. Here's the refined approach:

<style>
@media (max-width: 749px) {
  .slider--mobile {
    scroll-padding-left: 0 !important;
    overflow: hidden;
  }
  .slider__slide {
    padding: 0 !important;
    width: 100% !important;
    box-sizing: border-box;
  }
}
</style>

JavaScript for the Real Count:

Our next stop was JavaScript. Sometimes, it's not about seeing what's there but realizing what's missing. We implemented a script to ensure the slide counter reflected reality instead of daydreaming about extra images that didn't exist:

<script>
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
  const slider = document.querySelector('.slider--mobile');
  const slides = slider.querySelectorAll('.slider__slide');
  const slideCount = slides.length;
  const counter = document.querySelector('.slider-counter'); // Assuming you have a counter element

  counter.textContent = '1/' + slideCount;

  slider.addEventListener('change', function(e) {
    let currentSlide = slider.querySelector('.slider__slide--active');
    let currentIndex = Array.from(slides).indexOf(currentSlide) + 1;
    counter.textContent = currentIndex + '/' + slideCount;
  });
});
</script>

Test, Test, and Test Again:
With coding comes great responsibility—and testing. Get on different mobile devices and browsers, mimic various screen sizes, and ensure the display and functionality hold strong. Because at the end of it all, what good is a wizard who doesn’t double-check their own spells?

Celebrating Our Victory

Finally, the moment arrived—a harmonious blend of flushed images and accurate counters. No more padding problems. No more ghost images messing with our slide count. The slider was ours to command, and we basked in the sweet glory of solving a digital dilemma.

When someone walks into this shop now, they see what we intended: clear, full-screen images, no pesky number mix-ups. It took some wrangling with CSS and JavaScript, but we got there. And isn’t it always sweeter when you've come too far to give up?

So, dear reader, here we are, sharing our peculiar journey—full of ghosts, goblins, and over-brewed coffee. Should you find yourself in similar coding conundrums while wrestling with Shopify's Dawn Theme, take solace in knowing you're not alone. Let's embrace the chaos and joy of pixels coming together to form the perfect picture.