DropShadowing
✖
DropShadowing
is a two‐dimensional directive specifying that graphics objects are to be drawn with an additional blurred offset image.
Details

- DropShadowing is also known as drop shadow.
- DropShadowing is typically used to simulate 3D depth in a 2D object.
- DropShadowing[{dx,dy}] specifies that the blurred offset image should be moved by absolute offset {dx,dy}.
- DropShadowing[{dx,dy},r] applies a Gaussian blur effect with radius r.
- DropShadowing[{dx,dy},r,col] uses the color col for the blurred offset image.
- DropShadowing[{dx,dy},r,Inherited] uses the color of the graphics object with an opacity of
for the blurred offset image.
- DropShadowing[{dx, dy}, r] uses the color GrayLevel[0,1/3] for the blurred offset image.
- DropShadowing[] is equivalent to DropShadowing[{-3,-3},2,GrayLevel[0,1/3]].
- For a color col, DropShadowing[col] is equivalent to DropShadowing[{-3,-3},2,col].
- For a number r, DropShadowing[r] is equivalent to DropShadowing[{-3,-3},r,GrayLevel[0,1/3]].
- For a list {dx,dy}, DropShadowing[{dx,dy}] is equivalent to DropShadowing[{dx,dy},2,GrayLevel[0,1/3]].




Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (3)Summary of the most common use cases
Scope (15)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
Basic Uses (7)
Apply drop shadow to graphics primitives:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-frxr4t

Apply drop shadow to Text:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-uigeip


https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-0e201z


https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-op6dww


https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-0qnddi


https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-c6o7f5


https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-8onvyt

Specifications (8)
DropShadowEffect with no arguments draws a translucent shadow to the bottom left of the object:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-1ytecx

Specify the offset of the shadow relative to the original object:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-ufpgpf

Use a custom shadow blur radius:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-pbjth

The shadow color is set to GrayLevel[0,1/3] by default:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-vaf2w4

Set the shadow color explicitly:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-m9twqp

Set the color to Inherited to use the FaceForm color of the original object with half opacity:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-twuv45

DropShadowEffect works with shadow colors with opacity:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-jewn69

Use the FaceForm color of the original object with a custom opacity:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-g6f87h

Set the blur radius while using the default values for offset and color:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-l2403k

This is equivalent to only giving the blur radius:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-ow8f8l

Set the shadow color while using the default values for offset and blur:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-zu9bsb

This is equivalent to only giving the color:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-xkmxn7

The shadow offset and blur radius are specified in printer's points by default:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-0sqv34

Use an ImageScaled offset and radius:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-vf1qht

Applications (11)Sample problems that can be solved with this function
Basic Applications (1)
Show the shadow offset and blur radius:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-h5j0qx
Offset the shadow to the right:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-jradbo

Blur the shadow using various radii:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-xl882d

Offset to the lower left with a large blur radius:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-vkjmkk

Shadow Effects (3)
Simulate 3D depth in a 2D graphic:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-e897j

Larger values for the offset and blur radius correspond to greater depth:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-b2rw0f

Create a glow effect by using no offset with a large blur radius:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-xt5zg7

Approximate a thin outline by using multiple drop shadows:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-py6k2j

Graphics (3)
Apply drop shadow to graphics primitives:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-tboeem

Apply drop shadow to Text:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-k468g2

Apply drop shadow to a GraphicsComplex:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-hopztz

Visualization (4)
Properties & Relations (2)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
Drop shadow effects can also be produced using image processing functions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-uj2is3

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-wbeqqy

The equivalent effect using DropShadowing:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-xouoxs

Graphics primitives can be duplicated and offset using Offset to simulate an exact shadow:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-jeyopd


https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-c6gn4r

Possible Issues (1)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior
Drop shadows are drawn in the order in which their corresponding objects are defined in Graphics:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0btnzu57zxv2-36n6uc

Interactive Examples (1)Examples with interactive outputs
Wolfram Research (2022), DropShadowing, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html.
Text
Wolfram Research (2022), DropShadowing, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html.
Wolfram Research (2022), DropShadowing, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2022. "DropShadowing." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html.
Wolfram Language. 2022. "DropShadowing." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2022). DropShadowing. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html
Wolfram Language. (2022). DropShadowing. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_dropshadowing, author="Wolfram Research", title="{DropShadowing}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html}", note=[Accessed: 24-March-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_dropshadowing, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={DropShadowing}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DropShadowing.html}, note=[Accessed: 24-March-2025
]}