How This CSS Shadow Generator Works
Adjust the offset, blur, spread, color, and opacity sliders, and this css shadow generator online updates the live preview and the generated CSS instantly. Switch between box-shadow and text-shadow mode depending on what you're styling, an element's box or the text inside it, and copy the result straight into your stylesheet. As a css box shadow generator and css text-shadow generator in one, it covers both without switching tools.
box-shadow vs text-shadow: What's the Difference?
box-shadow draws a shadow around an element's entire box, respecting its border-radius, and supports an optional spread value plus an inset variant that draws the shadow inside the box instead of outside it. text-shadow draws a shadow behind the glyphs of text itself, follows the exact shape of each letter, and has no spread or inset option, just horizontal offset, vertical offset, blur, and color. Use box-shadow for cards, buttons, and containers; use text-shadow for headings, logos, and any text that needs to lift off the background. Whether you're looking for a box shadow generator online or a text shadow generator, both live in the same toggle here.
Layering Multiple Shadows for Depth
A single shadow rarely looks convincing on its own, real-world depth comes from layering. This multiple box shadow generator lets you stack several shadow layers on the same element, a tight, dark shadow close to the edge for definition, plus a soft, larger, lighter shadow further out for ambient depth, exactly how Material Design and most modern UI shadow systems are actually built. Each layer gets its own offset, blur, spread, color, and opacity, and the CSS output separates them with commas automatically.
Understanding box-shadow's Properties (Offset, Blur, Spread, Inset)
offset-x and offset-y move the shadow horizontally and vertically from the element. blur-radius softens the shadow's edge, a larger value spreads the shadow into a wider, fainter glow. spread-radius, the property plain drop shadow tools without box-shadow support don't have, grows or shrinks the shadow's size independent of the element itself: positive values expand it, negative values shrink it. inset flips the shadow to render inside the element's border instead of outside, useful for pressed-button or recessed-panel effects. This inset box shadow generator toggle applies per layer, so you can mix outer and inner shadows on the same element.
Common Uses
Adding depth to cards and buttons, creating a subtle focus ring or pressed-state effect with an inset shadow, and giving heading text enough contrast to read over a busy background image are the most common reasons designers reach for this box shadow css generator free tool, or use it as a straightforward drop shadow css generator for images and cards. It's also useful for matching an existing design system's shadow scale, small, medium, and large elevation levels, without hand-tuning blur and offset values by trial and error.