Logo

Complete Tools

Search tools
Ctrl K
Favoritekofi

CSS Text Shadow Generator

Create text shadow effects with visual preview and clean CSS.

Generate CSS text shadow code with real-time visual preview. Adjust offset, blur, and colors to create beautiful text effects. Copy CSS code instantly.

Categories
CSS Tools
Horizontal Offset: 2px
Vertical Offset: 2px
Blur: 4px
Background Color
Text Color
Shadow Color
Preview Text
Text Shadow
CSS Text Shadow
text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #CBD5E0;

What is CSS Text Shadow Generator?

CSS Text Shadow Generator is a free online tool that helps you create beautiful text shadow effects for your web typography. Whether you're designing eye-catching headings, elegant logos, or modern text effects, this tool provides a visual, real-time preview and generates clean CSS code.

With our text shadow generator, you can:

  • Adjust shadow offset horizontally and vertically
  • Control blur radius for soft or sharp shadows
  • Customize colors for text, shadow, and background
  • Preview in real-time with custom text input
  • Work seamlessly in both light and dark themes
  • Copy instantly with one-click CSS code copying

Understanding CSS Text Shadow

The text-shadow property adds shadow effects to text, making it stand out and creating depth. It's widely used for headings, logos, and decorative text elements.

Text Shadow Syntax

The CSS text-shadow property follows this format:

text-shadow: h-offset v-offset blur-radius color;

Basic Example:

text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
/* h-offset: 2px, v-offset: 2px, blur: 4px, color: semi-transparent black */

Multiple Shadows:

text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3), -2px -2px 4px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3);
/* Combine multiple shadows for complex effects */

No Blur:

text-shadow: 3px 3px 0 #333;
/* Sharp shadow without blur */

Key Features

Visual Real-Time Preview

See your text shadow changes instantly with a live preview. Test with your own custom text.

Full Color Control

  • Text Color: Choose the color of your text
  • Shadow Color: Select the shadow color
  • Background Color: Set preview background for better visualization

Precise Adjustments

  • Horizontal Offset: -32px to +32px
  • Vertical Offset: -32px to +32px
  • Blur Radius: 0px to 32px

Custom Preview Text

Enter your own text to see exactly how your shadow will look in your design.

Dark Theme Support

Seamlessly works in both light and dark modes with automatic color adjustments.

One-Click Copy

Generated CSS is ready to paste directly into your stylesheet.

How to Use the CSS Text Shadow Generator

Step 1: Adjust Shadow Offset

Use the Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset sliders to position your shadow:

  • Positive values move shadow right/down
  • Negative values move shadow left/up
  • Zero creates a glow effect when combined with blur

Step 2: Set Blur Radius

Adjust the Blur slider to control shadow softness:

  • 0px: Sharp, hard-edged shadow
  • 4-8px: Subtle, soft shadow (recommended for most cases)
  • 16px+: Very soft, diffused glow effect

Step 3: Choose Colors

Select colors for:

  • Background: Preview background color
  • Text: Your text color
  • Shadow: Shadow color (try semi-transparent colors for best results)

Step 4: Enter Preview Text

Type your own text in the Preview Text input to see how it looks with your shadow settings.

Step 5: Copy CSS Code

Click the Copy button to copy the generated CSS code and paste it into your stylesheet.

Step 6: Reset if Needed

Click Reset to return all values to defaults.

Common Use Cases and Examples

Subtle Text Depth

Add subtle depth to headings:

text-shadow: 1px 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);

Use for: Body headings, subtle emphasis

Bold Heading Shadow

Make headings pop:

text-shadow: 3px 3px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);

Use for: Hero headings, landing pages

Glow Effect

Create glowing text:

text-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);

Use for: Neon effects, dark backgrounds

3D Text Effect

Layered shadows for 3D look:

text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 #ccc, 2px 2px 0 #bbb, 3px 3px 0 #aaa, 4px 4px 0 #999;

Use for: Retro designs, bold statements

Embossed Text

Inset shadow effect:

text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5), 0 -1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);

Use for: Subtle, elegant text on colored backgrounds

Outline Effect

Text outline using shadows:

text-shadow: -1px -1px 0 #000, 1px -1px 0 #000, -1px 1px 0 #000, 1px 1px 0 #000;

Use for: Text on images, high contrast needs

Text Shadow Best Practices

1. Keep It Subtle

Less is often more. Subtle shadows (1-4px offset, 2-6px blur) work best for readability.

2. Match Your Design

  • Modern/Clean: Small offset, medium blur
  • Bold/Dramatic: Large offset, high blur
  • Retro/3D: Multiple layered shadows

3. Consider Readability

Text shadows should enhance, not hinder readability. Test on different backgrounds.

4. Use Transparency

RGBA colors with alpha transparency create more natural-looking shadows:

text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);

5. Test on Different Backgrounds

Shadows that look good on white may not work on dark backgrounds. Always test both.

6. Performance

Text shadow is hardware-accelerated but avoid using it on large blocks of body text.

Browser Compatibility

The text-shadow property is widely supported across all modern browsers:

  • Chrome: Version 4 and above - Full support
  • Firefox: Version 3.5 and above - Full support
  • Safari: Version 4 and above - Full support
  • Edge: All versions - Full support
  • Opera: Version 9.5 and above - Full support
  • iOS Safari: Version 3.2 and above - Full support
  • Android Browser: Version 2.1 and above - Full support

Note: Unlike box-shadow, text-shadow doesn't need vendor prefixes in modern browsers.

Advanced Text Shadow Techniques

Multiple Shadows

Combine multiple shadows for complex effects:

text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3), -1px -1px 2px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5),
  0 0 20px rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.3);

Animated Text Shadow

Create hover effects with transitions:

.text {
  text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
  transition: text-shadow 0.3s ease;
}
.text:hover {
  text-shadow: 4px 4px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
}

Responsive Text Shadows

Use CSS variables for easy theming:

:root {
  --text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
}
h1 {
  text-shadow: var(--text-shadow);
}

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the CSS text-shadow property?

The text-shadow property adds shadow effects to text. You can specify horizontal offset, vertical offset, blur radius, and color.

How is text-shadow different from box-shadow?

text-shadow applies to text characters only, while box-shadow applies to the entire element box. Text-shadow also doesn't support the spread parameter.

Can I use multiple text shadows?

Yes! Separate multiple shadows with commas: text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px red, -2px -2px 4px blue;

What's the best blur radius for text shadow?

For readability, use 2-6px blur. For dramatic effects, use 8-16px. For sharp shadows, use 0px.

Does text-shadow affect performance?

Text-shadow has minimal performance impact on modern browsers. However, avoid using it on large amounts of body text.

Can I create a glow effect with text-shadow?

Yes! Set both offsets to 0 and use a blur radius: text-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);

How do I create 3D text with CSS?

Use multiple layered shadows with increasing offsets: text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 #ccc, 2px 2px 0 #bbb, 3px 3px 0 #aaa;

Should I use text-shadow on body text?

Generally no. Text-shadow is best for headings, logos, and decorative text. It can reduce readability on body text.

Can I animate text-shadow?

Yes! Use CSS transitions or animations to smoothly change text-shadow values on hover or other states.

What color should I use for text shadows?

For natural shadows, use semi-transparent black: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3). For creative effects, experiment with any color.

Comments

Complete Tools
AboutTermsPrivacyContact

Copyright © 2022 - 2025 Complete Tools. Unless otherwise noted, all code MIT license.

Made with by Complete JavaScript