What does each box-shadow value mean?

box-shadow: offset-x offset-y blur-radius spread-radius color [inset]. Positive X shifts right, positive Y shifts down. Blur softens the edge. Spread grows the shadow before blur. Inset puts the shadow inside the element.

Can I stack multiple shadows?

Yes — CSS box-shadow accepts a comma-separated list. The first shadow renders on top. Material Design elevations use 2-3 stacked shadows to simulate realistic depth.

What makes a good soft shadow?

Keep alpha low (0.08–0.20), use zero or tiny spread, and large blur. Hard shadows with high alpha look dated. Offset Y slightly more than X to mimic sunlight from above.

Inset shadows render inside the element, creating a recessed/pressed look. Useful for inputs, toggles, and neumorphic surfaces.

CSS Box Shadow Generator

Developer Tools· 24 tools

Free CSS box-shadow generator with live preview. Customize horizontal and vertical offset, blur radius, spread radius, shadow color (with alpha), and toggle inset. Preset library included: subtle, card, material, elevation, neumorphism. Output: clean, copy-paste CSS.

Presets

Shadow 1

inset

Offset X0px

Offset Y10px

Blur30px

Spread-5px

Color

Alpha0.15

Page bg

Box color

Radius (16px)

CSS

box-shadow: 0px 10px 30px -5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);

Frequently Asked Questions

References

CSS box-shadow — MDN Web Docs — Mozilla Developer Network

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Frequently Asked Questions

References and sources

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