Dynamic Drive CSS Library- CSS3 Gradient Menu Buttons

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CSS3 Gradient Menu Buttons

Author: Dynamic Drive

These fancy looking buttons brings together CSS3's border-radius, box-shadow, and linear gradients to create glossy looking menu buttons that use NO images. They consist of just a regular UL list that can easily be left, centered, or right aligned. Visually these buttons look best in FF3.5+, Chrome, and Safari 4+, while in other browsers, they still look presentable enough.

The gradients are each a combination of 3 different colors with stop coloring applied, in the case of the first blue buttons above:

background: -moz-linear-gradient(center top, #a4ccec, #72a6d4 25%, #3282c2 45%, #357cbd 85%, #72a6d4); /* mozilla gradient background */

background: -webkit-gradient(linear, center top, center bottom, from(#a4ccec), color-stop(25%, #72a6d4), color-stop(45%, #3282c2), color-stop(85%, #357cbd), to(#72a6d4)); /* Webkit gradient background */

The following shows the spectrum of blue colors used in the blue buttons:

#a4ccec

#72a6d4

#3282c2

#72a6d4

#a4ccec

See CSS3 Linear Gradients for more information on using CSS gradients.

The CSS:

<style type="text/css">

.gradientbuttons ul{
padding: 3px 0;
margin-left: 0;
margin-top: 1px;
margin-bottom: 0;
font: bold 13px Verdana;
list-style-type: none;
text-align: center; /*set to left, center, or right to align the menu as desired*/
}

.gradientbuttons li{
display: inline;
margin: 0;
}

.gradientbuttons li a{
text-decoration: none;
padding: 5px 7px;
margin-right: 5px;
border: 1px solid #778;
color: white;
border:1px solid gray;
background: #3282c2;
border-radius: 8px; /*w3c border radius*/
box-shadow: 3px 3px 4px rgba(0,0,0,.5); /* w3c box shadow */
-moz-border-radius: 8px; /* mozilla border radius */
-moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 4px rgba(0,0,0,.5); /* mozilla box shadow */
background: -moz-linear-gradient(center top, #a4ccec, #72a6d4 25%, #3282c2 45%, #357cbd 85%, #72a6d4); /* mozilla gradient background */
-webkit-border-radius: 8px; /* webkit border radius */
-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 4px rgba(0,0,0,.5); /* webkit box shadow */
background: -webkit-gradient(linear, center top, center bottom, from(#a4ccec), color-stop(25%, #72a6d4), color-stop(45%, #3282c2), color-stop(85%, #357cbd), to(#72a6d4)); /* webkit gradient background */
}

.gradientbuttons li a:hover{
color: lightyellow;
}

.redtheme li a{
font-size:18px;
background: darkred;
background: -moz-linear-gradient(center top, #f5795d, #e55e3f 25%, #d02700 45%, #e55e3f 85%, #f5795d);
background: -webkit-gradient(linear, center top, center bottom, from(#f5795d), color-stop(25%, #e55e3f), color-stop(45%, #d02700), color-stop(85%, #e55e3f), to(#f5795d)); 
}

.greentheme li a{
font-size:12px;
background: green;
background: -moz-linear-gradient(center top, #7ad690, #3ec05c 25%, #298a40 45%, #3ec05c 85%, #7ad690);
background: -webkit-gradient(linear, center top, center bottom, from(#7ad690), color-stop(25%, #3ec05c), color-stop(45%, #298a40), color-stop(85%, #3ec05c), to(#7ad690)); 
}

.blacktheme li a{
font-size:16px;
background: black;
background: -moz-linear-gradient(center top, #9f9f9f, #686868 25%, #2a2a2a 45%, #686868 85%, #9f9f9f);
background: -webkit-gradient(linear, center top, center bottom, from(#9f9f9f), color-stop(25%, #686868), color-stop(45%, #2a2a2a), color-stop(85%, #686868), to(#9f9f9f)); 
}

.orangetheme li a{
font-size:14px;
background: #e55e3f;
background: -moz-linear-gradient(center top, #ecad9a, #e5937c 25%, #cf4c2a 45%, #e5937c 85%, #ecad9a);
background: -webkit-gradient(linear, center top, center bottom, from(#ecad9a), color-stop(25%, #e5937c), color-stop(45%, #cf4c2a), color-stop(85%, #e5937c), to(#ecad9a)); 
}

</style>

The HTML:

<div class="gradientbuttons">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/new.htm">DHTML</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/forums/">Forums</a></li>
<li><a href="http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/">Gif Optimizer</a></li>
</ul>
</div>

<br />

<div class="gradientbuttons redtheme">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/new.htm">DHTML</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/forums/">Forums</a></li>
<li><a href="http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/">Gif Optimizer</a></li>
</ul>
</div>

<br />

<div class="gradientbuttons greentheme">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/new.htm">DHTML</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/forums/">Forums</a></li>
<li><a href="http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/">Gif Optimizer</a></li>
</ul>
</div>

<br />

<div class="gradientbuttons blacktheme">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/new.htm">DHTML</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/forums/">Forums</a></li>
<li><a href="http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/">Gif Optimizer</a></li>
</ul>
</div>

<br />

<div class="gradientbuttons orangetheme">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/new.htm">DHTML</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/">CSS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dynamicdrive.com/forums/">Forums</a></li>
<li><a href="http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/">Gif Optimizer</a></li>
</ul>
</div>

Code Info

Rate this code:

Date Posted: 11/05/2010

Revision History: None

Usage Terms: Click here

Your Comments (8)

Got a question or need help customizing this CSS code? Post it in the CSS Forums. If you have a comment or suggestion instead, post it in the comments section below.

Comment Pages 1 of 1 pages

The CSS and html code display great both in FF and Chrome. But in IE8, it shows a blank button. How to fix that ?

Posted by oneroan on 11/06, 10:00 AM

It shouldn't show a blank button in IE8, just a CSS button without the fancy gradient and round edges.

Posted by ddrive on 11/06, 11:15 AM

>How to fix that ?
Check the DOCTYPE.

Posted by Jo on 11/08, 02:01 AM

I like this too, I'm using it on one of my websites and I'll soon probably add it to more!

Posted by Jennifer P. on 11/14, 01:47 AM

I have used Gradient tool in Adobe Photoshop and I was creating buttons in photoshop only but with the unique feature of CSS i think my work will be easier now.

Thanks,

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Posted by Matthew Sanner on 11/18, 09:03 AM

I'm using it on one of my websites and I'll soon probably add it to more!

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Posted by leo on 11/18, 11:27 PM

I liked the glossy look of the buttons
what about the IE?

Posted by webtrendset on 11/20, 12:08 AM

CSS is awesome but I think it will be a few years before is full potential is utilised by webmasters, manly due to browser inconsistencies
Beginners guide to CSS.

Posted by Tom Lucas on 11/21, 02:11 PM

Comment Pages 1 of 1 pages

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