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Drop shadows that look real: distance, blur, opacity

A fake shadow is dark, hard and close. A real one is soft, faint, tinted and consistent. The numbers that work, one light for the whole design, and the contact shadow that makes a product sit on a surface.

Beginner2 min readUpdated 27 September 2026Editor · Drop shadow, layer styles

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Settings that work

LookOpacityDistanceSize (blur)Spread
Subtle lift (cards, buttons)15 to 25%4 to 8 px16 to 30 px0
Floating object25 to 35%20 to 40 px40 to 80 px0
Text on a photo40 to 60%2 to 4 px8 to 16 px0 to 10%
Contact shadow50 to 70%0 to 4 px4 to 10 px0

Values are for a 1080 px wide design; scale them with the canvas. On an A4 at 300 dpi, multiply by about 2.3.

In the Editor

  1. Select the layer. For images and shapes, the Shadow section in Properties is quickest: pick a Colour, then set Opacity, Blur, Distance, Angle and Spread.
  2. For more control, Layer, Layer style, Drop shadow…: the same settings plus blend mode. Multiply is the default and the right choice.
  3. Pick the colour with the eyedropper from the darkest part of the background, then darken it a little. Grey on a blue background looks dirty; dark blue looks real.
  4. Use one Angle for every shadow in the design.

A contact shadow under a product

  1. Draw a flat black ellipse with the Shape tool (U), as wide as the base of the product and a fifth as tall. Put it just under the product layer.
  2. Add a Blur adjustment directly above the ellipse and Layer, Merge down: Merge down applies the blur to the ellipse only.
  3. Set the blurred ellipse to Multiply at 40 to 60 per cent opacity. Keep the soft drop shadow on the product as well.

Why do my shadows look fake?

Usually too dark, too hard and too close: opacity near 100, blur near 0. Lower opacity, raise blur above the distance, and tint the colour.

Which direction should the shadow fall?

Away from the light. With no obvious light in the design, down and slightly right (Angle 120, the default) reads as natural. Keep it the same for every element.

Open the Editor

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