About

Gradient backgrounds are a fundamental pillar of modern web design, offering a lightweight alternative to heavy image files. Unlike static images, CSS gradients are mathematically generated by the browser, meaning they scale infinitely without pixelation and consume negligible bandwidth. This tool enables the precise construction of linear-gradient, radial-gradient, and conic-gradient styles using a visual interface.

While simple two-color gradients are easy to write by hand, complex multi-stop gradients require calculating precise percentages and color transitions. A syntax error in a CSS gradient often results in the entire property being ignored by the rendering engine. This generator automates the syntax validation, ensuring that your angle, color-stop, and position values are perfectly formatted for production deployment.

Formulas

The mathematical model for a standard linear gradient defines a color line along an angle θ. The browser calculates the color C at any given pixel p based on its projection onto this line.

linear-gradientθ,C₁ P₁,C₂ P₂,...C_n P_n

Where:

θ = Angle of the gradient line (e.g., 90deg).
C_i = The color at stop i.
P_i = The position of the stop (0% to 100%).

Reference Data

Gradient Type	Syntax Structure	Use Case	Browser Support
Linear	linear-gradient(angle, color, ...)	Backgrounds, Buttons, Overlays	98.5%
Radial	radial-gradient(shape, color, ...)	Spotlights, Vignettes, Logos	98.0%
Conic	conic-gradient(from angle, ...)	Pie Charts, Color Wheels, Metallic sheens	94.0%
Repeating	repeating-linear-gradient(...)	Patterns, Stripes, Textures	98.5%

Frequently Asked Questions

Banding occurs when there are not enough distinct color values between two stops to render a smooth transition, often on low-quality displays. To fix this, try adding intermediate color stops or using a slight noise texture overlay. Ensure your colors are not too similar if the distance is large.

Yes. CSS gradients support RGBA and HSLA color models. You can transition from a solid color (e.g., rgba(255,0,0,1)) to a fully transparent one (rgba(255,0,0,0)), which is useful for creating fade-out effects on images.

A radial gradient radiates outward from a center point in circles or ellipses. A conic gradient rotates around a center point, like the hands of a clock or a pie chart. Conic gradients are ideal for color wheels and metallic CD-like reflections.

Using CSS gradients generated here is significantly faster than using background images. A CSS gradient requires only a few bytes of code, whereas a comparable PNG or JPG background could be 100kb+.