CSS Gradients Explained: Linear, Radial, and Conic in One Guide

CSS offers three gradient functions — linear, radial, and conic — each suited to different visual effects such as backgrounds, spotlights, and pie charts. Unlike image files, CSS gradients are rendered by the browser at runtime, meaning they scale without quality loss and add no HTTP request overhead. Placing two color stops at the same position creates hard edges, enabling striped and banded patterns without any image assets. Multiple gradients can be layered in a single background property, stacked front to back, allowing complex effects like mesh backgrounds and text overlays. Linear and radial gradients enjoy near-universal browser support, while conic gradient support, though now broad, should be verified when targeting older browsers.