CSS Shadow Generator
Build box shadows and text shadows visually — 100+ presets, live preview, instant CSS copy
box-shadow: 4px 4px 10px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
Card Title
Sample card content preview
Shadow Presets (120)
What is CSS Shadow Generator?
The CSS Shadow Generator is a visual tool for crafting 'box-shadow' and 'text-shadow' CSS values. Shadows are one of the most versatile visual effects in CSS — they can convey elevation, create soft glows, add neumorphic depth, draw focus to an interactive element, or separate a card from a background. But writing shadow values by hand is tedious: 'box-shadow' alone accepts up to six parameters (horizontal offset, vertical offset, blur radius, spread radius, color, and the 'inset' keyword), and shadows are often stacked in multiples for richer effects.
This generator provides over 100 curated presets covering material elevation shadows, soft outer glows, hard drop shadows, inner shadows, coloured shadows, and more. Each preset is a starting point that you can customise using sliders: adjust the offsets to change the light direction, increase blur for a softer appearance, modify spread to control shadow size, and pick any color including semi-transparent RGBA values for natural-looking shadows.
For box-shadow, you can layer multiple shadows on a single element and control each layer independently, which is how sophisticated neumorphic and layered-elevation effects are achieved. For text-shadow, you can add multiple layers for neon glow, emboss, or engraved text effects. The preview shows your element with the shadow applied live, and the generated CSS is updated with every change. Copy the complete property value and paste it directly into your stylesheet.
How to Use CSS Shadow Generator
- Choose a preset or start fresh
Select one of the 100+ presets as a starting point or begin with default values and build your own shadow.
- Adjust shadow parameters
Use sliders to set horizontal offset, vertical offset, blur, spread, and colour for each shadow layer.
- Preview on a live element
The preview card updates instantly to show exactly how the shadow will look in a real browser context.
- Copy the CSS value
Click Copy to grab the complete box-shadow or text-shadow property value ready for your stylesheet.
Key Benefits
Dozens of production-quality shadow designs covering elevation, glow, neumorphism, and more.
Stack multiple shadow layers on a single element — the same technique used in material design elevation systems.
See the shadow rendered on a real card element so you can judge depth and subtlety accurately.
Pick any shadow colour including semi-transparent RGBA values for natural, realistic shadow effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
box-shadow applies to the entire element box, following its border-radius. text-shadow applies only to the rendered glyphs of text content. box-shadow supports the spread parameter and the inset keyword; text-shadow does not.
Adding "inset" to a box-shadow draws the shadow inside the element rather than outside. Inset shadows are used for pressed-button states, debossed effects, and inner-glow highlights.
Layering two or three shadows with different blur values and opacities produces softer, more realistic depth that mimics natural light — a technique popularised by Google's material design elevation system.
No. box-shadow is painted outside the layout box and does not affect the size or position of any element. It is safe to animate with CSS transitions without causing reflow or layout thrashing.