CSS Text Shadow Generator
Create multi-layer text shadow effects visually with live preview.
① Adjust offset & blur for each layer ② Add multiple shadow layers ③ Copy the CSS
Presets:
Shadow 1
2px
2px
4px
30%
CSS Code
text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
What is CSS text-shadow?
The CSS text-shadow property adds one or more shadows to text. Each shadow is defined by an X offset, Y offset, blur radius, and color — e.g. text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.5). Multiple layers can be comma-separated; they render front-to-back, enabling complex effects like glow effect, 3D extrusion, and embossing. Setting a large blur with rgba() and zero offsets produces a neon glow. Negative X values push the shadow left; negative Y values push it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
CSS text-shadow adds shadow effects to text. Each shadow requires X offset, Y offset, blur radius, and color. Multiple comma-separated shadows create complex layered effects. The first shadow renders on top.
Yes. CSS text-shadow accepts a comma-separated list of shadow definitions. Each shadow is applied in order, with the first listed appearing on top. This enables effects like multiple outlines, 3D extrusion, glowing text, and neon effects.
The blur radius controls how spread out (blurred) the shadow is. A value of 0 gives a sharp, hard-edged shadow. Larger values create softer, more diffuse shadows. There is no maximum value — very large blur values create glow effects.
Use four shadows with 0 blur, each offset in one direction: text-shadow: 1px 0 black, -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 0 -1px black. For thicker outlines, increase the offset value. Note: CSS has no native text-stroke cross-browser equivalent, though -webkit-text-stroke works in most modern browsers.
Stack multiple shadows with increasing X and Y offsets in the same color: text-shadow: 1px 1px #aaa, 2px 2px #aaa, 3px 3px #aaa, 4px 4px #aaa. This creates a layered 3D extrusion effect. Vary colors for a more realistic depth effect.
Text-shadow is GPU-accelerated in modern browsers and has minimal performance impact for typical use. However, large blur radii on very long text or text-shadow applied to many elements simultaneously can affect rendering performance on low-end devices. Keep blur values reasonable.
CSS text-shadow is supported by all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and has been since 2010. No vendor prefixes are required. It is safe to use without fallbacks, though browsers may render shadows slightly differently at sub-pixel values.