Gradient Generator

Create beautiful CSS gradients with live preview. Generate linear, radial, and conic gradients with custom colors, angles, and stops. Copy ready-to-use CSS code instantly.

Gradient Controls

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Live Preview

Gradient
background: linear-gradient(90deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);

Gradient Presets

Gradient Usage Tips

  • Linear gradients create smooth color transitions in a straight line
  • Radial gradients create circular or elliptical color transitions
  • Conic gradients create color transitions around a center point
  • Add multiple color stops for complex, multi-color gradients
  • Adjust color stop positions to control transition points
  • Use gradients for backgrounds, buttons, text effects, and more

What is a CSS Gradient?

A CSS gradient is a smooth transition between two or more colors. Unlike solid colors, gradients create visual interest and depth, making them essential for modern web design. CSS gradients are rendered by the browser, so they're resolution-independent and look crisp on any display.

Gradients can be used for backgrounds, borders, text effects, buttons, and decorative elements. They're particularly popular in modern UI design, where they add visual appeal without requiring image files, reducing page load times and improving performance.

Types of CSS Gradients

Linear Gradients

Linear gradients create a smooth color transition along a straight line. You can specify the direction using angles (0° to 360°) or keywords like to right, to bottom, or to top right. Linear gradients are the most commonly used gradient type.

Use cases: Backgrounds, buttons, headers, dividers, card designs

Radial Gradients

Radial gradients create circular or elliptical color transitions radiating from a center point. You can control the shape (circle or ellipse), size, and position of the gradient. Radial gradients are perfect for creating spotlight effects or circular color transitions.

Use cases: Buttons, badges, icons, spotlight effects, circular backgrounds

Conic Gradients

Conic gradients create color transitions around a center point, like a color wheel. Colors transition around the circle rather than from center to edge. Conic gradients are great for creating pie charts, color wheels, or angular color effects.

Use cases: Pie charts, color wheels, angular designs, decorative elements

Common Use Cases

  • Backgrounds: Create visually appealing page or section backgrounds
  • Buttons: Add depth and visual interest to interactive elements
  • Text Effects: Apply gradients to text using background-clip: text
  • Cards: Enhance card designs with subtle gradient backgrounds
  • Headers: Create eye-catching header sections with gradient backgrounds
  • Borders: Use gradients for border effects and decorative elements
  • Overlays: Create gradient overlays on images for better text readability
  • Branding: Match brand colors with custom gradient combinations

FAQ

CSS gradients are supported in all modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. Linear gradients have been supported since CSS3, while radial gradients and conic gradients are also widely supported. For older browsers, you can provide a fallback solid color before the gradient declaration.
Yes! You can apply gradients to text using the background-clip: text property combined with -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent. This creates a gradient text effect. However, ensure sufficient contrast for accessibility and readability.
You can use as many color stops as needed. There's no practical limit, though most gradients use 2-5 color stops for optimal visual effect. Too many color stops can make gradients look busy or create unwanted banding effects.
Linear gradients transition colors along a straight line in a specified direction. Radial gradients transition colors from a center point outward in a circular or elliptical pattern. Conic gradients transition colors around a center point, like a color wheel or pie chart.
Yes, CSS gradients can be animated, though it requires careful implementation. You can animate gradient positions, angles, or colors using CSS animations or transitions. However, animating gradients can be performance-intensive, so use them judiciously.
CSS gradients are GPU-accelerated and generally perform well. However, complex gradients with many color stops or animated gradients can impact performance, especially on lower-end devices. Test your gradients on various devices to ensure smooth performance.