CSS Text Shadow Generator

What is CSS Text Shadow?

The CSS text-shadow property adds one or more shadow effects directly to text. It controls horizontal and vertical offset, blur softness, and color. Unlike box-shadow, text shadow follows the exact shape of each character rather than the element's bounding box.

This effect goes by several names in practice: font shadow, text drop shadow, and font drop shadow all refer to the same text-shadow property applied to typography, rather than to an element's box (that would be box-shadow instead). Whichever term you search for, the CSS and the generator above work the same way.

Text Shadow Syntax

text-shadow: offset-x offset-y blur-radius color;

• offset-x - Horizontal distance. Positive moves shadow right, negative moves left.
• offset-y - Vertical distance. Positive moves shadow down, negative moves up.
• blur-radius - How soft the shadow edge is. 0 = sharp. Higher values spread and soften. Optional, defaults to 0 if omitted.
• color - Any valid CSS color. Use rgba() to control opacity. Optional, defaults to the element's color if omitted.

Text Shadow vs Box Shadow

Both add shadow effects but work on different targets:

• text-shadow - Follows the shape of individual characters. No inset option. Used only on text.
• box-shadow - Follows the element's rectangular box. Supports inset. Works on any element.

Text Shadow in Tailwind CSS

Tailwind CSS v4.1 added native text-shadow-* utilities, so common effects no longer need arbitrary values or a plugin. See the CSS text shadow guide for the full utility list, opacity modifiers, color utilities, and the v3 fallback syntax.

Performance and Accessibility

Avoid animating text-shadow directly, since it triggers a repaint on every frame; see the text shadow guide for the pseudo-element workaround. For accessibility, ensure sufficient contrast between text color and background even when shadows are present, and do not rely on shadow alone to create legibility.

How to Use This Generator

This free text shadow maker lets you build effects visually and copy the CSS instantly, no account or sign-up required:

1. Click a Quick Preset to start with a ready-made effect, or build from scratch
2. Type your own text in the Preview Text field to test with real content
3. Switch the Background to match your actual site (Dark, Light, or a custom color)
4. Change the Font Family and Font Size to match your typography
5. Adjust the sliders in each Shadow Layer, or click Add Shadow Layer to stack effects
6. Toggle individual layers on and off to compare results
7. Click Copy CSS and paste into your stylesheet

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CSS text-shadow support inset?

No. Unlike box-shadow, the text-shadow property does not accept the inset keyword. It only creates outer shadows. For an inner or cutout shadow effect on text, you need SVG filters or image-based techniques.

Does text-shadow work on all browsers?

Yes. text-shadow is supported by all modern browsers and has been since IE10 (basic support), so cross-browser text shadow effects need no fallback in current projects. No vendor prefixes are required. Multiple shadows and rgba colors are also universally supported in modern browsers.

Is a text shadow generator the same as a font shadow generator?

Yes. "Font shadow," "text drop shadow," and "text shadow" all describe the same technique: applying the CSS text-shadow property to typography. The generator on this page works for any of these searches, since the underlying CSS is identical.

For the full syntax breakdown, ready-to-use effect recipes (glow, retro, embossed, outline, 3D), and performance tips, see the CSS text shadow guide.