Refracting Glass Text
Clear glass letters over a slow, glowing color field that bends slightly as it passes through them. The same blurred blobs are clipped to the text a little larger, under a gloss and a bright rim.
Also known as: glass text effect css, refraction text effect, glass letters css, lens text effect.
Refract
HTML
<div class="txt-refracting-glass-text"><span class="txt-refracting-glass-text-word">Refract</span></div>
CSS
.txt-refracting-glass-text {
--c: var(--txt-color, #3b82f6);
font-size: calc(var(--txt-size, 32px) * 1.8);
font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
font-weight: 900;
line-height: 1.2;
--blobs:
radial-gradient(closest-side, var(--c), transparent),
radial-gradient(closest-side, color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 30%, #ec4899), transparent),
radial-gradient(closest-side, color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 20%, #f59e0b), transparent);
display: inline-block;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 0.35em;
background: var(--blobs), #0c1020;
background-size: 65% 170%, 60% 160%, 50% 150%, auto;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgb(255 255 255 / 0.08), 0 0.35em 0.9em -0.35em rgb(15 23 42 / 0.5);
letter-spacing: 0.01em;
animation: txt-refracting-glass-text-drift 8s ease-in-out infinite alternate;}
/* The word fills the card, so its copy of the field lines up with the one
behind it; the slightly larger blobs are the refraction. */
.txt-refracting-glass-text-word {
display: block;
padding: 0.25em 0.65em;
background:
linear-gradient(180deg, rgb(255 255 255 / 0.75), rgb(255 255 255 / 0.2) 45%, rgb(255 255 255 / 0.12) 80%, rgb(255 255 255 / 0.45)),
var(--blobs),
#59628c;
background-size: 100% 100%, 75% 190%, 70% 180%, 60% 170%, auto;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
-webkit-background-clip: text;
background-clip: text;
color: transparent;
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;
filter: drop-shadow(0 0 0.01em rgb(255 255 255 / 0.95)) drop-shadow(0 0 0.01em rgb(255 255 255 / 0.6)) drop-shadow(0 0.05em 0.06em rgb(0 0 0 / 0.5));
animation: txt-refracting-glass-text-bend 8s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
}
@keyframes txt-refracting-glass-text-drift {
from { background-position: 0% 30%, 100% 80%, 60% 0%, 0 0; }
to { background-position: 100% 70%, 0% 20%, 30% 100%, 0 0; }
}
@keyframes txt-refracting-glass-text-bend {
from { background-position: 0 0, 0% 30%, 100% 80%, 60% 0%, 0 0; }
to { background-position: 0 0, 100% 70%, 0% 20%, 30% 100%, 0 0; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.txt-refracting-glass-text, .txt-refracting-glass-text-word { animation: none; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.txt-refracting-glass-text, .txt-refracting-glass-text *, .txt-refracting-glass-text::before, .txt-refracting-glass-text::after, .txt-refracting-glass-text *::before, .txt-refracting-glass-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.