Transitioning Gradients

Keith J. Grant:

In CSS, you can't transition a background gradient. It jumps from one gradient to the other immediately, with no smooth transition between the two.


Gosh, I remember a time not so long ago pseudo elements weren't transitionable!

I figured as long as we're using a pseudo element here, I'd document a few others ways as well. We could always move the position of a longer element, making it look like a gradient transition. Or, we could use a half-transparent gradient and transition a solid background behind it.

CSS Conic Gradient

A conic gradient is similar to a radial gradient. Both are circular and use the center of the element as the source point for color stops. However, where the color stops of a radial gradient emerge from the center of the circle, a conic gradient places them around the circle.

CSS Radial Gradient

A radial gradient differs from a linear gradient in that it starts at a single point and emanates outward. Gradients are often used to simulate a light source, which we know isn't always straight. That makes them useful to make the transitions between colors seem even more natural.

CSS Linear Gradient

Perhaps the most common type of gradient we see in web design is the linear-gradient(). It's called "linear" because the colors flow from left-to-right, top-to-bottom, or at any angle you chose in a single direction.