Text Shadow Generator
Create CSS text shadows with live preview
Text and shadow render live as you change values.
About this tool
The text-shadow CSS property adds one or more shadows behind text. Each shadow is defined by a horizontal offset, a vertical offset, a blur radius, and a color. When you list several shadows, the browser stacks them in order, which is how effects like neon glow, retro 3D depth, and outlined text are built. This generator lets you add as many layers as you need and see the result live.
Example 1: a single layer with x 2px, y 2px, blur 0, color #000000 at full opacity produces a hard, pixel-perfect drop shadow — the classic header look. Example 2: two layers, both at x 0 y 0 with increasing blur and color #7c5cff, produce a neon glow where the text appears to emit light. The Long 3D preset shows how five stacked non-blurred shadows with increasing x/y create a solid extruded depth effect.
Adjust each layer's offsets, blur, color, and opacity, then copy the generated text-shadow declaration into your stylesheet. The preview uses your chosen text and background colors so you can match the real site.
FAQ
What is the difference between text-shadow and box-shadow? ›
text-shadow applies a shadow to the shape of the glyphs (the letters themselves), while box-shadow applies it to the entire element box. text-shadow ignores the spread radius property that box-shadow supports.
How many shadow layers can I stack? ›
There is no hard limit — you can add as many as the browser can render. In practice, effects like neon glow or long 3D depth use 3 to 6 layers, while a simple drop shadow needs only one. Each layer is separated by a comma in the final CSS.
Why does my shadow look blurry or faint? ›
The blur radius softens the shadow; a value of 0 keeps it crisp. Opacity below 100% also fades the shadow. For a sharp, readable shadow, use a low blur and full opacity. For glow effects, use higher blur with a colored shadow that matches the text.
Does text-shadow work on dark and light backgrounds? ›
Yes, but the shadow color must contrast with the background to be visible. A black shadow on a dark background disappears, and a light shadow on white text fades out. The Background color control lets you preview exactly how the shadow reads against your real surface.
How do I share my shadow setup with someone? ›
Click "Share link" next to the CSS output to copy a URL that encodes the current text, colors, font size, and every layer. Opening that link restores the exact same configuration, so you can send a colleague a ready-made neon glow or 3D depth effect without them rebuilding it layer by layer.