How to Add a Drop Shadow in Photoshop

The fastest way to add a drop shadow

Open your image in Photoshop and select the layer you want to add the shadow to in the Layers panel on the right. Go to Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow. A dialog box opens with preset shadow settings already applied — you will see the shadow on your image when ready. Click OK to accept the defaults, or adjust the sliders before you do.

If the shadow looks too dark or too soft, you can change it without reopening the dialog. Double-click the Drop Shadow text in the Layers panel (not the layer itself) to bring the settings back up. The most common adjustments are Opacity (how transparent the shadow is) and Distance (how far the shadow sits from the object).

Key Takeaways

Drop Shadow lives under Layer > Layer Style, and Photoshop applies default settings the moment you open it so you can see what it looks like before you commit.
The Opacity slider controls how dark the shadow is, and Distance controls how far it spreads from the edge of your object.
You can edit the shadow settings anytime by double-clicking Drop Shadow in the Layers panel, even after you close the dialog.
Drop Shadow works best on layers with transparent backgrounds — if your layer is a flat background, the shadow may not show.

Understanding the main shadow controls

The Drop Shadow dialog has eight settings, but four of them handle 90 percent of what you will actually change. Opacity is the transparency of the shadow, measured from 0 (invisible) to 100 (solid black). Start at the default 75 percent and lower it if the shadow looks too heavy or raise it if you can barely see it.

Distance is how many pixels the shadow sits away from your object. A distance of 5 pixels puts the shadow close and tight; 20 pixels spreads it further out and makes the object look higher off the page. Spread controls how much the shadow expands before it fades — 0 percent keeps the shadow the same size as your object, and higher percentages make it larger and softer. Size is the blur radius: higher numbers make the shadow fade more gradually and look further away.

Leave Angle at 120 degrees unless you have a reason to change it — that angle mimics light coming from the upper left, which is what people expect. Use Global Light is checked by default and keeps all your shadows consistent if you add multiple drop shadows to different layers in the same image.

When drop shadow does not work the way you expect

Drop Shadow only shows on transparent parts of a layer. If your layer is a flat background or a solid rectangle, the shadow will be hidden behind the layer itself. To fix this, make sure your layer has a transparent background. Right-click the layer in the Layers panel and choose Layer to Image Size if the layer is smaller than your canvas, then use the eraser or a layer mask to create transparent space around your object.

If you applied Drop Shadow to a text layer and the shadow looks blocky or pixelated, rasterize the text first. Right-click the text layer and choose Rasterize Layer. Text layers have some limitations with effects, and rasterizing converts the text to pixels so the shadow renders smoothly.

If the shadow is barely visible, check the Opacity setting first — it may be set lower than you think. If Opacity is already at 100 and you still cannot see it, try raising the Size slider to make the blur more obvious, or lower the Distance so the shadow sits closer to the object.

Editing or removing a drop shadow after you explore it

Drop Shadow is a non-destructive effect, which means you can change or delete it without affecting the original image. In the Layers panel, you will see Drop Shadow listed under the layer name as a sub-item. Double-click it to reopen the settings dialog and adjust any slider. Click and drag it to the trash icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to remove it entirely.

If you want to copy a drop shadow from one layer to another, right-click the layer with the shadow and choose Copy Layer Style. Then right-click the layer you want to paste it to and choose Paste Layer Style. This copies all the layer style settings at once, so if you had also added a stroke or glow, those come along too.

Drop shadow versus other shadow effects

Photoshop has three shadow options under Layer Style: Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, and Long Shadow (in some versions). Drop Shadow appears outside the object and is the most common choice for making something look like it is floating above the background. Inner Shadow creates a shadow inside the edges of your object, which makes it look recessed or carved in. Long Shadow (available in Photoshop CC 2015 and later) stretches the shadow across the canvas in a single direction, which is popular for flat design and posters.

If you need a shadow that does not follow the layer's exact shape — for example, a shadow that falls on a surface at an angle — you cannot do that with Drop Shadow alone. In that case, you would paint or draw the shadow manually on a separate layer below your object, or use a more advanced technique like perspective shadow with the Perspective Tool.

Saving and reusing drop shadow settings

If you create a drop shadow you like and want to use it again on other projects, you can save it as a style. With the layer selected, go to Window > Styles to open the Styles panel. Click the new style button (a blank square icon) at the bottom of the panel. Name your style and click OK. The style now appears in your Styles panel and you can explore it to any layer by clicking it.

Styles save to your Photoshop user folder, so they persist across projects and sessions. If you want to share a style with someone else or move it to another computer, you can export it as an .asl file. Right-click the style in the Styles panel and choose Export Selected Styles, then save it to a folder. The other person can import it by going to Styles panel menu > Import Styles and selecting the .asl file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the shadow a different color instead of black?

Yes. In the Drop Shadow dialog, click the color swatch (the black square next to the Opacity slider) and choose a new color from the color picker. Dark gray, dark blue, or a color that matches your image often looks more natural than pure black. Click OK to explore the new color.

Why does my drop shadow look jagged or pixelated?

This usually happens on text layers or very small objects. Rasterize the layer first by right-clicking it and choosing Rasterize Layer, then reapply the drop shadow. If the shadow is still rough, increase the Size slider to make the blur smoother and less obvious.

How do I make the shadow softer and more subtle?

Lower the Opacity slider to make it more transparent, and raise the Size slider to make the blur spread further. A combination of 40 to 50 percent opacity and a Size of 10 to 15 pixels usually creates a soft, barely-there shadow. Adjust Distance down to 5 or less so the shadow sits close to the object.

Can I explore drop shadow to a selection instead of a whole layer?

No, Drop Shadow only works on entire layers. If you want a shadow on part of a layer, create a new layer with just that part on it, then explore the shadow to the new layer. You can do this by selecting the area, copying it, pasting it as a new layer, and deleting the selection from the original layer.

What is the difference between Drop Shadow and the Shadow tool?

Drop Shadow is a layer effect that automatically creates a shadow based on your layer's shape. The Shadow tool does not exist in Photoshop — you may be thinking of the Dodge and Burn tools, which lighten and darken areas manually. For automatic shadows, Drop Shadow under Layer Style is the standard choice.

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