Primer CSS Box shadow

Last Updated : 28 May, 2025

Primer CSS is a free open-source CSS framework that is built upon systems that create the foundation of the basic style elements such as spacing, typography, and color. This systematic method makes sure our patterns are steady and interoperable with every other. Its approach to CSS is influenced by Object-Oriented CSS principles, functional CSS, and BEM architecture. It is highly reusable and flexible. It is created with GitHub’s design system.

Primer CSS Box shadow applies shadow to a box container. It helps to make the content elevated so that the user pays attention to the content inside the container box. In Primer CSS, we can add different types of box shadows – small, medium, large, and extra-large.

Primer CSS Box Shadow elements:

Small Box Shadow: Small Box Shadows are created using the class ".color-shadow-small" to the component. Small shadows are generally used on the elements of the websites that need to get a bit elevated. Generally, they are applied to such elements that have borders.
Medium Box Shadow: Medium Box Shadow is created using the class ".color-shadow-medium" to the component. Medium shadows are more diffused and widespread than small box shadows. Generally, medium shadows are used on components that can be edited and are clickable.
Large Box Shadow: Large Box Shadows are created using the class ".color-shadow-large" to the component. Large Shadows are much more diffused and spread out than medium shadows. Generally, large box shadows are used on components that are for marketing and UI Screenshots that need to appear on the top of all other page elements.
Extra Large Box Shadow: Extra Large Box Shadows are created using the class ".color-shadow-extra-large" to the component. They are more diffused and larger than the Large shadows and are used for displaying marketing content that needs to appear on top of all other page elements.
Remove a Box Shadow: We can remove a box shadow by adding the ".box-shadow-none" class to the component. This removes the box shadows from the component in which this class is added.

Primer CSS Box shadow Classes:

color-shadow-small – This class when applied adds a very slight shadow to the element. This type of shadow is generally applied to things that are with borders. Some of the examples where small box-shadow are applied are pricing cards, add-to-cart buttons, and so on.
color-shadow-medium – This class when applied adds a diffused shadow to the element slightly larger than the small shadow. It is generally used for editorialized content that can be clicked and edited.
color-shadow-large – This class when applied adds a more diffused shadow to the element larger than the medium shadow to the element. It is generally used for marketing content and UI screenshots and images.
color-shadow-extra-large – This class when applied adds a much more diffused shadow to the container.
box-shadow-none – This class when applied removes a box shadow from the element.

Syntax:

<div class="Box-shadow-Class">
    ...
</div>

Example 1: We have added a small shadow to a container element.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content=
                "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href=
"https://unpkg.com/@primer/css@^18.0.0/dist/primer.css" />
</head>

<body>
    <h1 style="color: green;">
        GeeksforGeeks
    </h1>
    <h2>
        Primer CSS Box-shadow
    </h2>

    <div class="col-4 m-3">
        <div class="Box color-shadow-small">
            <div class="Box-row">
                <h3> How to write article? </h3>
            </div>

            <div class="Box-row">
                <p class="mb-0 color-fg-muted">
                    We can write articles on any 
                    technology topics and after 
                    being reviewed it will be live on
                    GeeksforGeeks platform.s
                </p>

            </div>

            <div class="Box-row">
                <button type="button" 
                        name="Create an organization" 
                        class="btn btn-primary btn-block">
                    Pick an article
                </button>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>

</html>

Output:

Example 2: We have created an element with a large shadow added to it.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content=
                "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href=
"https://unpkg.com/@primer/css@^18.0.0/dist/primer.css" />
</head>

<body>
    <h1 style="color: green;">
        GeeksforGeeks
    </h1>
    <h2>
        Primer CSS Box-shadow
    </h2>
    
    <div class="color-shadow-large 
                m-4 col-4 row-3">
        <p>
            This is a container with large 
            shadow class added to it.
        </p>
        <p>
            This is a container with large 
            shadow class added to it.
        </p>
        <p>
            This is a container with large 
            shadow class added to it.
        </p>
        <p>
            This is a container with large 
            shadow class added to it.
        </p>
    </div>
</body>

</html>

Output:

Example 3: This example demonstrates the Primer CSS Box shadow using color-shadow-medium, color-shadow-extra-large, and box-shadow-none classes.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content=
                "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href=
"https://unpkg.com/@primer/css@^18.0.0/dist/primer.css" />
</head>

<body class="m-2">
    <h1 style="color: green;">
        GeeksforGeeks
    </h1>
    <h2>
        Primer CSS Box-shadow
    </h2>
    
    <div class="color-shadow-medium  
                m-4 col-4 row-3">
        <p>
            GeeksforGeeks medium shadow
        </p>
    </div>

    <div class="color-shadow-extra-large  
                m-4 col-4 row-3">
        <p>
            GeeksforGeeks extra-large shadow
        </p>
    </div>

    <div class="box-shadow-none 
                m-4 col-4 row-3">
        <p>
            GeeksforGeeks no shadow
        </p>
    </div>
</body>

</html>