The properties in the CSS filter effects module let you define a way of processing an element's rendering before the element is displayed in the document. Examples of such effects include blurring and changing the intensity of the color of an element.

Filter effects in action

Play with the various sliders to apply filter effects to the image below.

<article>
  <img
    src="https://mdn.github.io/shared-assets/images/examples/george_floyd_memorial_sm.jpg"
    width="600"
    height="400"
    alt="A colorful memorial honoring George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement" />
  <form>
    <fieldset>
      <legend>Select your filters</legend>
      <label>
        <input type="range" name="blur" value="0" min="0" max="1" step="0.1" />
        blur()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="brightness"
          value="1"
          min="0"
          max="2"
          step="0.1" />
        brightness()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="contrast"
          value="1"
          min="0"
          max="2"
          step="0.1" />
        contrast()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="dropShadow"
          value="0"
          min="-1"
          max="1"
          step="0.1" />
        drop-shadow()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="grayscale"
          value="0"
          min="0"
          max="1"
          step="0.1" />
        grayscale()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="hueRotate"
          value="0"
          min="-1"
          max="1"
          step="0.1" />
        hue-rotate()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="invert"
          value="0"
          min="0"
          max="1"
          step="0.1" />
        invert()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="opacity"
          value="1"
          min="0"
          max="1"
          step="0.1" />
        opacity()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input
          type="range"
          name="saturate"
          value="1"
          min="0"
          max="2"
          step="0.1" />
        saturate()
      </label>
      <label>
        <input type="range" name="sepia" value="0" min="0" max="1" step="0.1" />
        sepia()
      </label>
      <button type="reset">Reset</button>
    </fieldset>
  </form>
</article>

<pre><output></output></pre>

<p>Image by <cite>DigitalNomad</cite></p>

article {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: minmax(200px, 800px) 15em;
  gap: 1rem;
  max-width: 100%;
}
label {
  display: block;
  font-family: sans-serif;
}
input {
  vertical-align: middle;
  margin-right: 0.25em;
  max-width: 50%;
}
output {
  white-space: normal;
  overflow-wrap: break-word;
  display: block;
  width: 100%;
}

img {
  margin: 1rem;
  width: 100%;
  object-fit: cover;
  overflow: hidden;
}

const image = document.querySelector("img");
const controls = document.querySelectorAll("input");
const output = document.querySelector("output");

for (control of controls) {
  control.addEventListener("change", () => {
    /* do function */
    changeCSS();
  });
}
document.querySelector("button").addEventListener("click", () => {
  setTimeout(() => {
    changeCSS();
  }, 50);
});

function changeCSS() {
  let currentFilter = "filter: ";
  for (const filter of [
    blur(),
    brightness(),
    contrast(),
    dropShadow(),
    grayscale(),
    hueRotate(),
    invert(),
    opacity(),
    saturate(),
    sepia(),
  ]) {
    currentFilter += filter;
  }
  currentFilter += ";";
  image.setAttribute("style", currentFilter);
  output.innerText = currentFilter;
}
function blur() {
  let blurValue = document.getElementsByName("blur")[0].value;
  return blurValue === "0" ? "" : `blur(${blurValue}rem) `;
}
function brightness() {
  let brightnessValue = document.getElementsByName("brightness")[0].value;
  return brightnessValue.toString() === "1"
    ? ""
    : `brightness(${brightnessValue}) `;
}
function contrast() {
  let contrastValue = document.getElementsByName("contrast")[0].value;
  return contrastValue === 1 ? "" : `contrast(${contrastValue}) `;
}
function dropShadow() {
  let dropShadowValue = document.getElementsByName("dropShadow")[0].value;
  return dropShadowValue === 0
    ? ""
    : `drop-shadow(${dropShadowValue}rem ${dropShadowValue}rem 0rem orange) `;
}
function grayscale() {
  let grayscaleValue = document.getElementsByName("grayscale")[0].value;
  return grayscaleValue === 0 ? "" : `grayscale(${grayscaleValue}) `;
}
function hueRotate() {
  let hueRotateValue = document.getElementsByName("hueRotate")[0].value;
  return hueRotateValue === 0 ? "" : `hue-rotate(${hueRotateValue}turn) `;
}
function invert() {
  let invertValue = document.getElementsByName("invert")[0].value;
  return invertValue === 0 ? "" : `invert(${invertValue}) `;
}
function opacity() {
  let opacityValue = document.getElementsByName("opacity")[0].value;
  return opacityValue === 1 ? "" : `opacity(${opacityValue}) `;
}
function saturate() {
  let saturateValue = document.getElementsByName("saturate")[0].value;
  return saturateValue === 1 ? "" : `saturate(${saturateValue}) `;
}
function sepia() {
  let sepiaValue = document.getElementsByName("sepia")[0].value;
  return sepiaValue === 0 ? "" : `sepia(${sepiaValue})`;
}

Properties

• backdrop-filter
• filter

Functions

• blur()
• brightness()
• contrast()
• drop-shadow()
• grayscale()
• hue-rotate()
• invert()
• opacity()
• saturate()
• sepia()

Guides

• Using CSS filter effects
  • Overview of the concepts surrounding CSS filter effects, including properties, filter functions, and SVG filters, with an explanation of filter values, source order, and value interactions.

Related concepts

• image data type

• filter-function data type

• background-image CSS property

• background-blend-mode CSS property

• mix-blend-mode CSS property

• glossary term

• color-interpolation-filters SVG property

Specifications

See also

• Properties in the CSS compositing and blending module enable blending an element's background layers together and blending an element with its container
• The SVG element and the SVG filter primitives: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,