CSS Text Shadow Generator
Build multi-layer text shadows with live preview and copy the CSS.
ColorPeek
text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.30);
Shadow Layers (1)
Edit Selected Layer
How to Use the CSS Text Shadow Generator
- 1.Choose a preset (Subtle Drop, Glow, Neon, Embossed, Retro 3D) to start, or build from scratch.
- 2.Adjust X offset, Y offset, blur radius, shadow color, and opacity using the sliders.
- 3.Click "Add Layer" to stack multiple shadows for richer effects like neon glows or 3D depth.
- 4.Toggle individual layers on/off using the eye icon to compare before and after.
- 5.Click "Copy" to copy the complete
text-shadowCSS declaration, ready to paste.
What is CSS text-shadow?
The CSS text-shadow property adds one or more shadow effects to text. Each shadow is defined by four values: the horizontal offset (X), vertical offset (Y), blur radius, and color. Positive X moves the shadow right; positive Y moves it down. A blur radius of 0 creates a hard-edged shadow with no softness.
Where CSS box-shadow applies to the rectangular box of an element, text-shadow follows the actual shape of each letter — making it ideal for typographic effects. Multiple shadows are stacked as a comma-separated list, processed from back to front. This lets you layer a tight hard shadow for definition, a wide soft shadow for depth, and a colored glow for atmosphere — all in a single declaration.
Common uses include: subtle drop shadows for legibility on images, glowing neon effects for dark UI, letterpress or embossed text for editorial layouts, and long flat shadows for material-style headlines. Unlike filter: drop-shadow(), text-shadow does not affect surrounding elements and renders with excellent browser support across all modern platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many text shadows can I stack?
There is no browser-imposed limit on the number of shadows. In practice, 3-5 layers cover most design needs. More than 8 layers can noticeably affect rendering performance on large text or when animations are involved.
Can I animate text-shadow with CSS?
Yes. text-shadow is animatable with CSS transition and animation. However, animating blur radius is expensive — prefer animating opacity or switching between pre-defined shadow values for better performance.
What is the difference between text-shadow and filter: drop-shadow?
text-shadow applies only to text characters and is part of the text rendering layer. filter: drop-shadow() applies to the entire element including borders and backgrounds, and is GPU-composited. For text-only effects, text-shadow is the correct choice.
Does text-shadow affect layout or spacing?
No. Like box-shadow, text-shadow is purely visual and does not affect the document layout, line height, or the space any element occupies.