Ingraphic design andcomputer graphics, adrop shadow is a visual effect consisting of a drawing element which looks like theshadow of an object, giving the impression that the object is raised above the objects behind it. The drop shadow is often used for elements of agraphical user interface such aswindows ormenus, and for simple text. The text label foricons on desktops in manydesktop environments has a drop shadow, as this effect effectively distinguishes the text from any colored background it may be in front of.[1]
A simple way of drawing a drop shadow of a rectangular object is to draw a gray or black area underneath and offset from the object. In general, a drop shadow is a copy in black or gray of the object, drawn in a slightly different position. Realism may be increased by:
Inset drop shadows are a type which draws the shadows inside the element. This allows the interface element to appear as if it is sunken into the interface.
Inphoto editing or photography post-production, a drop shadow may be added right beneath a model or product in the image. It is used to create contrast between the background and the subject. To add a drop shadow, retouchers use graphic editing tools likeAdobe Photoshop.
Drop shadows are often used as a visual effect in e-commerce. This is done to improve the presentation of product images and create depth in the image.[citation needed]
Generally,window managers which are capable of compositing allow drop shadow effects, whereas incapable window managers do not. In some operating systems likemacOS, drop shadow is used to differentiate between active and inactive windows.
Websites are able to use drop shadow effects through theCSS propertiesbox-shadow,[2]text-shadow,[3] anddrop-shadow() filter function infilter.[4] The first two are used for elements and text respectively, while the filter applies to the element's content, letting it support oddly shaped elements or transparent images.
 | Thiscomputer graphics–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |