· general · 3 min read
Painting with CSS: Exploring Mesh Gradients
Mesh gradients add a smooth, dreamy texture to your designs that flat colors just can’t match. In this article, I explore what they are, how to create them, and share some stunning examples to inspire your next project.
What Are Mesh Gradients?
Mesh gradients are a type of gradient where colors blend at multiple points across a grid, or “mesh.” Instead of moving from one color to another in a straight line (like linear gradients) or from a center point (like radial gradients), mesh gradients allow you to assign color values at several nodes and let the browser interpolate the in-betweens. The result is a smooth, painterly blend of colors that feels far more dynamic and unpredictable than older gradient methods.
Though CSS doesn’t natively support mesh gradients (yet), you can still create or find them on sites like CSS Hero, UIGradients, or MSHR.app, which export the gradient as CSS or SVG code you can paste into your site. Some designers even generate them with Figma and bring them into CSS as background images.
Why They Work So Well
There’s a reason mesh gradients have become so popular among modern web designers. Their visual softness and natural flow immediately convey a sense of sophistication and smoothness. They’re perfect for hero sections, landing pages, login screens, and anywhere you want to evoke emotion without overwhelming the user. With just the right blend of colors, you can create feelings of warmth, coolness, mystery, or even nostalgia without using a single image.
Because mesh gradients aren’t tied to symmetry or strict directionality, they feel more organic. That gives them a hand-painted charm that’s hard to achieve with traditional CSS tools. They can make a tech startup feel more human, a portfolio feel more artistic, or a brand feel more premium, simply by what colors you choose and how you layer them.
Using Mesh Gradients
So how do you actually use mesh gradients in your website? One common method is exporting them as images and using them as the background. You can also paste the CSS code for generating the gradient into your CSS file. Want to animate them? Combine them with CSS animations or layer multiple gradients for dreamy effects.
Tools like Haikei, MSHR, and even Figma plugins make this process easy. You don’t need to be a visual artist to design something stunning. Experimenting with color placement and node density can help you find just the right look.
Final Thoughts
Mesh gradients are not just a design trend. They represent a shift in how we think about the web as a medium. No longer just a grid of boxes and buttons, the browser has become a canvas. Give them a shot — even if you’re not a “designer,” you’ll feel like one.
