Canvas Shadow

Posted in Canvas Tutorial

Updated on Oct 13, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 57 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 1 Comment

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

The HTML5 <canvas> element allows for dynamic, scriptable rendering of 2D shapes and bitmap images. One of the powerful features of the canvas is the ability to create shadows, which can add depth and realism to your drawings.

In this guide, we will explore how to use canvas shadows, covering the syntax, attributes, and practical examples.

💡 Syntax

To create a shadow on the canvas, you need to use a few specific properties of the canvas's 2D rendering context. These properties are:

shadowColor
shadowBlur
shadowOffsetX
shadowOffsetY

Here’s how you typically set these properties:

Syntax

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const canvas = document.getElementById('myCanvas');
const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');

ctx.shadowColor = 'color';
ctx.shadowBlur = blurLevel;
ctx.shadowOffsetX = offsetX;
ctx.shadowOffsetY = offsetY;

🧰 Attributes

shadowColor: Specifies the color of the shadow. It accepts any valid CSS color value, such as rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) for a semi-transparent black shadow.
shadowBlur: Specifies the level of blur for the shadow. A higher value means more blur.
shadowOffsetX: Specifies the horizontal distance of the shadow from the shape. Positive values move the shadow to the right, and negative values move it to the left.
shadowOffsetY: Specifies the vertical distance of the shadow from the shape. Positive values move the shadow down, and negative values move it up.

📄 Example

Here’s an example of drawing a rectangle with a shadow:

index.html

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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Canvas Shadow Example</title>
</head>
<body>
    <canvas id="myCanvas" width="200" height="200"></canvas>
    <script>
        const canvas = document.getElementById('myCanvas');
        const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');

        // Set shadow properties
        ctx.shadowColor = 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5)';
        ctx.shadowBlur = 10;
        ctx.shadowOffsetX = 5;
        ctx.shadowOffsetY = 5;

        // Draw a rectangle
        ctx.fillStyle = 'blue';
        ctx.fillRect(50, 50, 100, 100);
    </script>
</body>
</html>

🧠 How it works?

In this example, we create a blue rectangle at (50, 50) with a width and height of 100 units. The shadow is semi-transparent black (rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5)) with a blur level of 10, and it is offset by 5 units to the right and 5 units down.

🎉 Conclusion

Adding shadows to your canvas drawings can significantly enhance the visual appeal by introducing depth and dimension.

By mastering the use of shadowColor, shadowBlur, shadowOffsetX, and shadowOffsetY, you can create sophisticated and realistic graphics on your web pages. Experiment with these properties to see how they can transform your canvas projects!