Designing depth with box-shadows
CSS box-shadow simulates elevation and lighting by projecting soft offsets behind elements. A generator lets you fine-tune the blur, spread, and color before copying production-ready code.
Anatomy of a box-shadow
Every shadow is described by horizontal offset, vertical offset, blur radius, spread radius, and color.
Optional inset mode flips the shadow inward, creating embossed or pressed effects.
Why visual tooling helps
Tweaking values directly in CSS requires reloading or inspecting elements repeatedly.
Interactive controls show instant feedback, so designers and engineers can agree on the same depth scale.
Evolution of interface depth
Skeuomorphic interfaces used heavy shadows to mimic real materials. Modern systems like Material Design formalized elevation tokens with subtle, layered shadows.
Understanding that history helps teams balance realism with performance and accessibility.
Where to apply custom shadows
- Floating cards, dialogs, and tooltips that need hierarchy
- Interactive controls such as buttons or chips to signal focus
- Onboarding spotlights or walkthrough callouts
- Brand-forward illustrations that reuse CSS instead of bitmap assets
Best practices for believable depth
- Reduce opacity as blur radius increases to mimic real light
- Stack multiple shadows to separate ambient light from sharp key shadows
- Keep consistent elevation tokens documented alongside spacing and typography
- Remember performance: heavy blur on large elements may cost GPU time