8 Elegant CSS Box Shadow Presets (Copy & Paste) – Shadow.css

Shadow.css is a CSS library that provides eight preset box shadow configurations to create realistic elevation effects on web elements.

Each preset combines multiple layered shadows with carefully calibrated opacity values to simulate how light interacts with surfaces at different elevations.

How to use it:

1. Open the Shadow.css demo page and select the shadow style that matches your elevation needs. Copy the CSS definition and paste it into your stylesheet.

shadow-4: Four-layer shadow with consistent 0.15 opacity across all layers. This creates balanced elevation suitable for standard cards and panels.

.shadow-4 {
  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15),
    0 4px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15), 0 8px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
}

shadow-5: Five-layer shadow with uniform 0.12 opacity. The lighter opacity produces softer edges compared to shadow-4.

.shadow-5 {
  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12),
    0 4px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12), 0 8px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12),
    0 16px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);
}

shadow-6: Six-layer shadow with 0.11 opacity extending to 32px blur radius. This creates the most gradual depth transition in the numbered presets.

.shadow-6 {
  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11),
    0 4px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11), 0 8px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11),
    0 16px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11), 0 32px 32px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11);
}

shadow-sharp: Five-layer shadow with decreasing opacity from 0.25 to 0.05. The strong initial opacity creates crisp edges that soften gradually.

.shadow-sharp {
  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2),
    0 4px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15), 0 8px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1),
    0 16px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
}

shadow-diffuse: Four-layer shadow with increasing opacity from 0.08 to 0.2. This inverted pattern produces softer inner edges and stronger outer glow.

.shadow-diffuse {
  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12),
    0 4px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16), 0 8px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
}

shadow-dreamy: Six-layer shadow with consistent 0.07 opacity extending to 64px blur radius. The extreme blur radius creates soft, atmospheric depth.

.shadow-dreamy {
  box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.07), 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.07),
    0 4px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.07), 0 8px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.07),
    0 16px 32px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.07), 0 32px 64px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.07);
}

shadow-shorter: Five-layer shadow with 0.11 opacity stopping at 16px blur radius. The compressed layer distribution creates tighter depth perception.

.shadow-shorter {
  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11),
    0 4px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11), 0 6px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11),
    0 8px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.11);
}

shadow-longer: Five-layer shadow with 0.09 opacity extending to 32px blur radius. The doubled y-offset values push shadows farther below elements.

.shadow-longer {
  box-shadow: 0 2px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09), 0 4px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09),
    0 8px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09), 0 16px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09),
    0 32px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09);
}

2. Or download the shadow.css file and link it in your HTML document’s head section:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="./shadow.css" />

Then apply shadow classes directly to your HTML elements:

<div class="shadow-4"></div>
<div class="shadow-5"></div>
<div class="shadow-6"></div>
<div class="shadow-sharp"></div>
<div class="shadow-diffuse"></div>
<div class="shadow-dreamy"></div>
<div class="shadow-shorter"></div>
<div class="shadow-longer"></div>

Changelog:

11/29/2025

• Update Demo & Doc

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