Shadows

Shadows add depth, indicating elevation, layering, and separation between UI elements.

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Shadows support structure and feedback, but are most effective when systematic, subtle, and used sparingly.

Overview

Shadows offer visual cues about depth, movement, and surface edges. Their appearance is influenced by a surface’s elevation and its relationship to other layers. Each component has an appropriate shadow applied by default.

When to use

  • Shadows should only be used when a component is intentionally elevated above the surrounding UI.
  • Use elevation purposefully, reserve heavier shadows for higher layers (like dialogs) and lighter shadows for tooltips or toasts.
  • Shadows should draw attention to key components like modals, dropdowns, or tooltips without overwhelming the interface.

When not to use

  • Too many shadows (or overly strong ones) can clutter the interface or make it feel heavy and inconsistent.

$shadow-xs

0 1px 3px 0 rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1),
0 1px 2px -1px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1);

$shadow-sm

0 4px 6px -1px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1),
0 2px 4px -2px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1);

$shadow-md

0 10px 15px -3px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1),
0 4px 6px -4px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1);

$shadow-lg

0 20px 25px -5px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1),
0 8px 10px -6px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.1);

$shadow-xl

0 25px 50px -12px rgb(26 26 26 / 0.25);

Feedback shadows

To match the colours of feedback states the shadows colour will also change.

Info

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