Embossed Text Effect
Raised letters with a lit edge and a shadowed edge, and the light slowly circles around them. Two text-shadows swap sides through eight keyframes, so the bevel turns smoothly.
Also known as: letterpress text css, emboss text with moving light, raised text shadow.
Letterpress
HTML
<div class="txt-emboss-text">Letterpress</div>
CSS
.txt-emboss-text {
--c: var(--txt-color, #3b82f6);
font-size: var(--txt-size, 32px);
font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
font-weight: 700;
line-height: 1.2;
font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;
letter-spacing: 0.02em;
color: var(--c);
text-shadow: -0.035em -0.035em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), 0.035em 0.035em 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000);
animation: txt-emboss-text-orbit 6s linear infinite;}
@keyframes txt-emboss-text-orbit {
0%, 100% { text-shadow: -0.035em -0.035em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), 0.035em 0.035em 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
12.5% { text-shadow: 0 -0.05em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), 0 0.05em 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
25% { text-shadow: 0.035em -0.035em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), -0.035em 0.035em 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
37.5% { text-shadow: 0.05em 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), -0.05em 0 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
50% { text-shadow: 0.035em 0.035em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), -0.035em -0.035em 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
62.5% { text-shadow: 0 0.05em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), 0 -0.05em 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
75% { text-shadow: -0.035em 0.035em 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), 0.035em -0.035em 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
87.5% { text-shadow: -0.05em 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #fff), 0.05em 0 0.02em color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 50%, #000); }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.txt-emboss-text, .txt-emboss-text *, .txt-emboss-text::before, .txt-emboss-text::after, .txt-emboss-text *::before, .txt-emboss-text *::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}Customizing this snippet
- Color: set
--txt-coloron the element or a parent. Currently previewing#3b82f6. - Font size: set
--txt-size. Every other dimension is inem, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing40px. - 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.