box-shadow: 4px 4px 8px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);Generate CSS box-shadow properties with visual controls. Adjust offset, blur, spread, and opacity for perfect shadows.
What is CSS Box Shadow Generator?
CSS box-shadow adds depth and visual hierarchy to elements by creating drop shadows. The property controls offset (horizontal/vertical position), blur radius (softness), spread radius (shadow size), color, and opacity. Shadows enhance UI cards, buttons, and containers, making flat designs feel three-dimensional. This visual generator lets you design shadows interactively.
How to Use
- Adjust sliders for Offset X and Offset Y (shadow position)
- Set Blur radius for shadow softness
- Adjust Spread for shadow size expansion
- Pick color and adjust opacity percentage
- Toggle Inset for inner shadows
- Click presets for quick starting points
- Copy generated CSS to your stylesheet
Why Use This Tool?
Tips & Best Practices
- Subtle shadows (low opacity) look professional
- Card shadows: small offset, moderate blur
- Neon effects: no offset, high blur, bright color
- Inset shadows create pressed/inset appearance
- Negative spread makes tighter shadows
- Multiple shadows via multiple values
Frequently Asked Questions
What does each parameter mean?
Offset X/Y: shadow position relative to element. Blur: how soft/fuzzy the shadow edges. Spread: expands or contracts shadow size. Color + Opacity: shadow color and transparency. Inset: shadow appears inside element instead of outside.
How do I make subtle shadows?
Use low opacity (10-15%), small offset (0-4px), moderate blur (4-12px). Preset 'Subtle' or 'Card' show ideal subtle shadow values. Subtle shadows enhance without dominating the design.
What is inset shadow?
Inset shadows appear inside the element, creating a pressed or sunken effect. Useful for buttons (pressed state), input fields, and depth illusions. Toggle 'Inset' checkbox to switch from outer to inner shadow.
How do I create neon/glow effects?
Set offset to 0, high blur (20-50px), spread to 0, and use bright colors at full opacity. The 'Neon' preset demonstrates this. Multiple shadows with different blur values create layered glow effects.
Can I have multiple shadows?
Yes - CSS supports multiple shadows separated by commas: box-shadow: shadow1, shadow2, shadow3. Create layered effects, different colored shadows, or combined inset/outer shadows. Manually add additional values to copied CSS.
Why use RGBA instead of hex?
RGBA allows opacity control separate from color. Hex opacity requires alpha channel (#RRGGBBAA) which has limited support. RGBA is standard for shadow opacity. The tool converts your color to RGBA with adjustable transparency.