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How to Add SVG Drop Shadow — feDropShadow Filter Guide

SVG feDropShadow adds configurable drop shadows to any SVG element — control offset, blur, color, and opacity directly in SVG markup.

Preset:
Colors:
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SVG feDropShadow Shorthand

`<feDropShadow>` is the concise way to add shadows: set `dx`, `dy` (offset), `stdDeviation` (blur), `flood-color` (shadow color), and `flood-opacity`. It's equivalent to feOffset + feGaussianBlur + feFlood + feComposite + feMerge.

  • <feDropShadow dx='3' dy='3' stdDeviation='4' flood-color='#000' flood-opacity='0.5'/>
  • dx/dy: positive moves shadow right/down
  • flood-color accepts any CSS color value

Colored and Multiple Shadows with SVG Filters

Chain multiple feDropShadow filters or build a manual pipeline to add colored shadows (red glow, blue shadow). SVG filters can layer multiple shadow passes unlike CSS box-shadow in some contexts.

  • Chain two filter primitives for double shadow effect
  • Use flood-color='#ff0000' for colored shadow/glow
  • Wrap in <filter> and apply filter attribute to element

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between SVG feDropShadow and CSS drop-shadow()?

CSS filter: drop-shadow() is simpler syntax; SVG feDropShadow gives the same result but in SVG markup. Both follow the element shape, unlike CSS box-shadow which follows the box.

Can I add a drop shadow to SVG text?

Yes — apply filter='url(#shadow)' with feDropShadow to a <text> element for text drop shadows that follow the actual glyph outlines.

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