Stack text shadows for depth and glow
One shadow reads flat; two or three stacked layers make glows, outlines, and retro depth. Build up to four layers with live preview.
Tools used in this guide
The job
CSS text-shadow accepts a comma list of shadows, drawn back to front. Multiple tight offsets make a hard outline; a big blur makes glow; same-color stepped offsets make retro 3D.
Layers
Each layer takes x and y offsets, blur radius, and a hex color — add up to four, or start from a preset (flat, soft, outline, retro) and tune. The preview renders the value before you copy it.
Worked example
An outline effect uses four same-color layers at the four diagonals: 1px 1px, −1px 1px, 1px −1px, −1px −1px with 0 blur. A glow is one layer at 0 0 with blur 20 px in a bright color.
Where it stops
Offsets ±200 px, blur 0–100 px, #rrggbb only (no alpha hex in the builder). Preview is a plain text sample — real impact depends on font size and background contrast.