Free Shadow Tool

Drop Shadow - Professional 3D Depth Effects

Add realistic drop shadows to your images with full control over position, blur, opacity, and color. Perfect for product photos, cutouts, and marketing graphics. No Photoshop needed.

  • Full customization
  • Instant results
  • Pro quality
Add Shadow Now Remove BG
Drop shadow tool preview
Add depth with realistic shadows

Preview

Preview
Upload an image to see shadow preview

Upload Image

JPG PNG WebP
  1. Upload: Choose product or cutout image
  2. Adjust: Set position, blur, opacity, color
  3. Preview: See real-time shadow effect
  4. Download: Get PNG with transparent background
Tip: Use Product preset (8px offset, 15px blur) for e-commerce.
10px
10px
15px
50%
Files stored temporarily for 24 hours.

Tips for Best Results

  • E-commerce: Use Soft or Product presets for clean, professional product shots
  • Marketing: Try Dramatic or Floating presets for eye-catching ads
  • Natural look: Keep offset subtle (5-15px) and use lower opacity (30-50%)
  • Transparent output: Enable transparent background for flexible layering in other tools

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Add Professional Drop Shadows to Any Image

Give your images depth and dimension with our free drop shadow tool. Whether you're creating product photos for e-commerce, designing marketing materials, or just want to make cutouts look more realistic, our AI-powered tool automatically removes the background and adds a customizable shadow.

Perfect For

Product Photography

Make products appear grounded and professional on white backgrounds

Cutout Images

Add realism to transparent PNG cutouts with natural shadows

Marketing Graphics

Create eye-catching ads with floating, dramatic shadow effects

3D Effect

Simulate depth and make flat images pop with shadow layers

Shadow Tips for Best Results

  • Soft shadows: Use low opacity (20-40%) and high blur for subtle, professional results
  • Product photos: Offset slightly down and right with medium blur mimics natural lighting
  • Floating effect: Zero X offset with large Y offset and blur creates hover effect
  • Dramatic look: Higher opacity (50-70%) with larger offset for bold, stylized shadows

Understanding Shadow Design

The Science of Realistic Shadows

Shadows ground objects in virtual space, providing depth perception cues that make flat 2D images appear three-dimensional. Natural shadows follow physics: light source angle determines offset direction, distance affects blur radius, and surface proximity controls opacity. In product photography and UI design, drop shadows create floating effects that separate subjects from backgrounds, improving visual hierarchy and focus.

Effective shadow design balances realism with style: soft, subtle shadows (5-10px blur, 20-30% opacity) suit professional contexts, while hard, exaggerated shadows (0px blur, 60%+ opacity) create dramatic poster effects. Color temperature matters too—cool blue shadows suggest outdoor lighting, warm gray shadows mimic indoor tungsten bulbs.

Shadow Best Practices
  • Match Light Direction: Shadow offset should align with implied light source position
  • Scale with Size: Larger objects cast longer, softer shadows
  • Subtlety Wins: 15-25% opacity appears more natural than heavy 60%+ shadows
  • Blur for Distance: Increase blur radius as subject "floats" higher above surface
Creative Shadow Uses
  • E-commerce: Soft bottom shadows make products appear to float
  • Logos: Tight, dark shadows add punch to flat graphics
  • Portraits: Subtle side shadows enhance depth and dimension
  • UI Elements: Elevation shadows indicate clickable buttons

FAQ

For product photos, use the "Product" preset: 8px X offset, 10px Y offset, 15px blur, and 50% opacity. This mimics natural studio lighting.

Yes! Enable the "Transparent background" toggle to get a PNG with the shadow but no solid background color.

Colored shadows can create artistic effects or match brand colors. Blue shadows give a cool tech feel, while warm colors add energy.

For realistic shadows: use 15-25% opacity, 10-15px blur, offset slightly down and right (3-5px each direction), and choose dark gray instead of pure black. This mimics natural overhead lighting.

While this tool applies one shadow per upload, you can download the result and re-upload it to add additional shadow layers from different angles, creating complex lighting scenarios or artistic effects.

Soft shadows (higher blur values) mimic diffused lighting from large light sources or cloudy days, appearing more natural to human eyes. Hard shadows (zero blur) suggest harsh direct sunlight or spotlights, creating dramatic but less realistic effects.

PNG and WebP formats support transparency, allowing shadows to blend naturally over any background. JPG doesn't support transparency—shadows will appear on a solid white background instead.

If light comes from top-left, shadow should offset bottom-right (positive X and Y values). Top-right light creates bottom-left shadow (negative X, positive Y). Overhead light uses minimal horizontal offset with downward vertical offset.
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