CSS: How to Add Shadow to Text – Simple Styling for Stunning Effects

Text shadows can add depth, focus, and elegance to your typography, making content more visually appealing. Whether you’re designing headings, hero sections, or callouts, using shadows wisely can significantly enhance your website’s design.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to add shadow to text using CSS, with syntax, examples, and practical tips.

Table of Contents

🔹 What is `text-shadow` in CSS?

The text-shadow property in CSS allows you to apply shadow effects to text. It’s supported by all modern browsers and easy to use with just a single line of code.

🔹 Basic Syntax

text-shadow: horizontal-offset vertical-offset blur-radius color;

Example:

text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);

Breakdown:

2px → Horizontal offset
2px → Vertical offset
5px → Blur radius
rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) → Shadow color

🔹 Basic Example: Simple Text Shadow

<h1 class="shadow-text">Hello World</h1>

.shadow-text {
  text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #aaa;
}

This will give the text a soft gray shadow, making it appear slightly lifted off the page.

🔹 Advanced Example: Glowing Text Effect

.glow {
  color: #fff;
  text-shadow: 0 0 5px #0ff, 0 0 10px #0ff, 0 0 15px #0ff;
}

This creates a neon glow effect around the text, great for dark backgrounds and modern UI designs.

🔹 Multiple Shadows

You can add multiple text shadows by separating them with commas:

.multi-shadow {
  text-shadow: 1px 1px 2px #000, -1px -1px 2px #444;
}

This adds depth from multiple directions, creating a more dramatic or embossed effect.

🔹 Example: Embossed/Engraved Look

.embossed {
  color: #333;
  text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 #fff, -1px -1px 0 #000;
}

Perfect for buttons or dark-on-light themed headers, this gives a 3D engraved appearance.

🛠️ Best Practices

Tip	Reason
Don’t overdo shadows	Too many shadows can reduce readability
Use `rgba` or `opacity`	Helps soften the effect for a natural look
Combine with contrast	Ensure text remains legible against background
Test on all screen sizes	Small screens may blur fine details

🧪 Text Shadow vs Box Shadow

Property	Applies to	Used For
`text-shadow`	Text only	Typography effects
`box-shadow`	Elements (like divs, buttons)	Container shadows

✅ Final Thoughts

The text-shadow property is a small but powerful CSS tool that brings extra flair to your web typography. From subtle elevation to bold neon glows, the creative possibilities are endless.

Try this:

text-shadow: 3px 3px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);

It’s minimal, elegant, and works great with modern UI designs.

🔹 What is text-shadow in CSS?