Text Shadow Generator

What Is the Text Shadow Generator?

This tool builds a CSS text-shadow declaration -- offset, blur, and color -- with a live preview against sample text, so you can see exactly how the effect looks before copying the CSS.

How to Use This Tool

Adjust offset X/Y, blur, and color. The preview text and generated CSS update instantly.

How Text Shadow Values Work

Practical Uses

• Adding a subtle depth effect to a heading or hero text
• Improving text legibility over a busy background image
• Creating a retro or embossed text style effect

For element (not text) shadows, see the Box Shadow Generator.

Defaults and Output

The tool opens with offset X of 2 pixels, offset Y of 2 pixels, blur of 4 pixels and black as the color, giving text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #000000; Unlike the box shadow tool, this one uses the color you pick exactly as a hex value; there is no separate opacity field. If you want a semi-transparent shadow, copy the output and swap the hex color for an rgba value by hand. It generates one layer only.

A Worked Example

Consider a hypothetical hero headline in white text over a photograph that has both bright and dark regions. A plain white headline can become hard to read on the bright areas. Try offset X 0, offset Y 2, blur 6 and a dark color such as #000000. The shadow forms a soft dark halo below the letters that separates them from the image without looking like a hard outline. Keep it subtle, since a very dark and heavy shadow tends to look dated. Then check the result at both desktop and mobile sizes, because thin text at small sizes can look smudged if the blur is too large.

Understanding Each Value

• Offset X moves the shadow right when positive and left when negative.
• Offset Y moves it down when positive and up when negative.
• Blur controls softness. A blur of 0 gives a sharp copy of the letters, useful for retro or hard-edged styles. Larger values spread the shadow into a soft glow. Blur cannot be negative.
• Color determines the mood: dark shadows suggest depth, while a light or bright shadow on dark text can create a glow-like effect.

Useful Effects to Try

• Glow: set both offsets to 0, a blur around 8 to 12 and a bright color. This makes text appear to emit light.
• Hard retro shadow: use offsets like 3 and 3 with blur 0 and a contrasting color.
• Legibility aid: a small blur, low vertical offset and a color opposite in lightness to the text.

Accessibility and Readability

A shadow can help but it does not replace sufficient contrast. Check contrast between text and the actual background without counting the shadow, because some users have settings, print modes or contexts where the shadow is not rendered. Heavy shadows on body text can also reduce readability, especially for people with low vision, so they are better saved for large headings and display text.

Limits

The generated declaration contains a single shadow. Multi-layer effects such as outlines, embossing or 3D extrusion need several comma-separated shadows, which you can build by pasting more values after the first. CSS text-shadow also applies to text only; to add a shadow to an icon or image with transparency, other techniques such as the filter property are typically used.

Frequently Asked Questions