Gradient Generator
Design stunning CSS gradients with real-time preview and exportable code.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Gradients That Look 2026, Not 2012
Gradient types and their jobs
CSS gradients render at any size for free — the type sets the mood:
| Type | Behavior | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Color travels along an angle | Buttons, hero backgrounds, borders |
| Radial | Color radiates from a point | Glows, spotlights, soft vignettes |
| Conic | Color sweeps around a center | Pie charts, color wheels, fancy borders |
| Layered / mesh-style | Several gradients stacked | The modern blurry-blob hero look |
Why some gradients look cheap
The classic failure is the gray dead zone: two saturated hues far apart on the color wheel (red → green) pass through mud in RGB interpolation. Fixes: pick neighboring hues (blue → purple, orange → pink), or insert a middle stop steering the path. Subtlety also sells — two tints of the same hue a few lightness steps apart reads premium, while full-saturation rainbow spans read like 2012. Angle matters less than people think; 135deg is the safe default.
Shipping a gradient
Text over gradients must clear contrast at the gradient's lightest point — verify in the contrast checker. Derive stops systematically from brand colors using HSL in the color converter, sample inspiration from any site with the screen color picker, and paste the generated CSS straight into the stylesheet you'll later run through the CSS minifier.