Box Shadow Generator
Adjust blur, spread, offset, and color on a live preview box, then copy the CSS box-shadow value directly into your stylesheet.
Preview card
Presets
CSS output
box-shadow: 0px 8px 24px -4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);What Box Shadow Generator does
Live-previews one or more shadow layers as you adjust parameters, and outputs a single CSS declaration ready to paste.
Features
Multi-layer shadows
Stack multiple shadows for richer, more realistic depth.
Presets
Soft, medium, and strong starting points to build from.
Copy CSS
One complete declaration ready for your stylesheet.
Real examples
Card component
Subtle 0 4px 20px rgba shadow for gentle elevation.
Floating button
Stronger shadow that increases on hover state.
How to use Box Shadow Generator
- 1
Adjust offsets, blur, and spread with sliders.
- 2
Add a second shadow layer for more realistic depth.
- 3
Copy the CSS declaration.
- 4
Test on real content at the intended size.
Who it is for
Front-end developers
Card and button elevation without guessing values.
UI designers
Build a consistent depth system across a design.
Students
See exactly how each parameter changes the visual result.
Pro tips
- Use one consistent elevation scale across the full app — typically three levels: card, modal, and tooltip.
- In dark mode, reduce opacity and increase blur radius so shadows remain visible against dark backgrounds.
Common mistakes
- Applying heavy shadows to every element on the page.
- Dark shadows on dark backgrounds where they are invisible.
- Forgetting focus styles when styling interactive elements.
Privacy note
The shadow generator runs entirely in your browser. No CSS values, colors, or configuration data are sent to Sounez servers or stored anywhere.
When not to use this tool
Avoid applying complex multi-layer box-shadow values to long scrolling lists or grids with hundreds of items — this can significantly reduce rendering performance on lower-end devices. For large repeated components, consider simpler borders or background differences instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create inset (inner) shadows?
Yes — toggle the inset option to create a shadow that appears inside the element rather than outside it. Inset shadows are useful for pressed button states, focused input fields, and inner glow effects.
Can I use box-shadow values in Tailwind CSS?
Yes — map the generated CSS values to Tailwind's shadow utilities, or add them as custom shadow values in your tailwind.config.js under extend.boxShadow. You can then use them as utility classes.
Can I stack multiple shadows in one declaration?
Yes — add multiple shadow layers in the generator and copy a single CSS declaration that includes all of them comma-separated. Layering a tight shadow and a diffuse shadow creates more realistic depth than a single shadow.
Related tools
A few tools that naturally pair with Box Shadow Generator.
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Pick two colors, set an angle, and copy the CSS gradient code straight into your project.
Open toolColor Palette Generator
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Open toolBackground Pattern Generator
Create CSS and SVG background patterns for websites, landing pages and UI mockups.
Open toolRead next on the blog
Practical guides and how-tos from the Sounez blog.