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Inner shadows are not appearing

An inner shadow has the same properties as a drop shadow but casts inside the shape boundary. It composites on top of the fill layers, so it is visible only where the shape actually has fill — and only when it has offset, spread or blur to give it somewhere to fall.

Symptoms

If one or more of these match what you are seeing, you are on the right page.

  • •The inner shadow section is configured but the shape is unchanged
  • •The shadow appears outside the shape instead of inside
  • •Only one edge shows the shadow
  • •The effect disappears on a shape with no fill

Causes and fixes

Ordered from most to least likely. Work down the list — each cause is paired with what to do about it.

  1. 1

    Offset, spread and blur are all zero.

    An inner shadow with no offset and no blur has no area to occupy. Set Offset X/Y, or raise Blur Radius for a soft inset edge all round.

  2. 2

    The shape has no fill for the shadow to composite onto.

    Inner shadows composite on top of the fill layers inside the shape boundary. Add a fill layer — on a stroke-only shape there is nothing to darken.

  3. 3

    Shadow opacity is zero.

    Raise the opacity. As with drop shadows, the color is independent and does not need to be black.

  4. 4

    A drop shadow was added rather than an inner shadow.

    They are separate controls with identical properties. Add the shadow from the Inner Shadow section for an inset result.

Still stuck?

If none of the causes above match, contact support with the steps to reproduce the problem, your browser and version, and any message from the browser console. You can reach us at support@flashfx.app.

Contact Support