Box Shadow Outset Hover Effect
The button steps up and to the left while three hard shadows fan out behind it in fading tints, like a stack of cards. One box-shadow list transitions from three zero offsets to three growing ones.
Also known as: hvr-box-shadow-outset, stacked box shadow hover, layered shadow button css.
HTML
<button class="hfx-box-shadow-outset">Start building</button>
CSS
.hfx-box-shadow-outset {
--c: var(--hfx-color, #3b82f6);
display: inline-flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 0.5em;
padding: 0.7em 1.6em;
border-radius: 0.5em;
font: 600 var(--hfx-size, 16px) system-ui, sans-serif;
cursor: pointer;
border: 0;
background: var(--c);
color: #fff;
border-radius: 0.35em;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 60%, transparent), 0 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 35%, transparent), 0 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 18%, transparent);
transition: transform 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.8, 0.25, 1), box-shadow 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.8, 0.25, 1);}
.hfx-box-shadow-outset:is(:hover, :focus-visible) {
transform: translate(-0.3em, -0.3em);
box-shadow: 0.25em 0.25em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 60%, transparent), 0.5em 0.5em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 35%, transparent), 0.75em 0.75em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 18%, transparent);
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.hfx-box-shadow-outset, .hfx-box-shadow-outset *, .hfx-box-shadow-outset::before, .hfx-box-shadow-outset::after, .hfx-box-shadow-outset *::before, .hfx-box-shadow-outset *::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}Customizing this snippet
- Color: set
--hfx-coloron the element or a parent. Currently previewing#3b82f6. - Base size: set
--hfx-size. Every other dimension is inem, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing16px. - Speed: change the duration on the
transitionoranimationshorthand. Staggered delays are relative, so they keep their rhythm. - Reduced motion: the rule at the end of the CSS turns the motion off for people who asked their OS for less of it. Keep it.