CSS Button Generator

Executive Summary

The CSS Button Generator is a comprehensive visual tool designed to streamline the creation of professional, accessible button components for modern web applications. Buttons are among the most critical interactive elements in any interface—they drive conversions, facilitate navigation, and represent the primary touchpoints between users and functionality. Creating buttons that look polished, feel responsive, and work consistently across browsers requires coordinating multiple CSS properties: colors, padding, borders, shadows, typography, and interactive states. The Button Generator consolidates all these controls into an intuitive interface with real-time preview capabilities.

Rather than manually writing dozens of lines of CSS while constantly switching between your editor and browser to verify results, this tool lets you visually design every aspect of your button—from base styles through hover, focus, and active states. Adjust padding with sliders, select colors from pickers, preview shadow depths, experiment with border-radius values, and configure typography all while watching your button update in real-time. The result is dramatically faster iteration, more consistent design, and production-ready CSS code that includes all necessary states and accessibility considerations.

Key Benefits:

• Complete State Management: Design base, hover, focus, and active states in one interface
• Real-Time Visual Feedback: See every change instantly without browser refreshes
• Accessibility Built-In: Automatic contrast checking, focus state guidelines, keyboard interaction support
• Cross-Browser Compatibility: Generates optimized CSS that works consistently everywhere
• Design System Integration: Export tokens for consistent button patterns across projects
• Responsive Preview: Test button appearance at different viewport sizes

This tool is essential for designers creating UI components, developers building design systems, and anyone who wants to create professional button styles without tedious trial-and-error. It pairs perfectly with the Gradient Generator for gradient backgrounds, the Border Radius Generator for custom corner shapes, and the CSS Transition Generator for smooth hover effects.

Feature Tour

1. Button Size and Padding Controls

Adjust button dimensions using intuitive slider controls:

Padding Controls:

• Horizontal Padding: Left and right spacing (typically 16px-32px for standard buttons)
• Vertical Padding: Top and bottom spacing (typically 8px-16px)
• Linked/Unlinked: Toggle to adjust all padding uniformly or independently

Size Presets:

• Small: Compact buttons for dense interfaces (8px × 16px padding)
• Medium: Standard default size (12px × 24px padding)
• Large: Prominent call-to-action buttons (16px × 32px padding)
• Extra Large: Hero section CTAs (20px × 40px padding)

The preview updates instantly as you adjust padding, showing exactly how the button will appear at different sizes. Proper padding ensures buttons have adequate touch targets (minimum 44×44px for mobile accessibility).

2. Color and Background Controls

Comprehensive color customization for all states:

Background Color:

• Solid colors via color picker with hex, RGB, HSL inputs
• Gradient backgrounds (integrates with Gradient Generator)
• Opacity/transparency controls for glassmorphic effects

Text Color:

• Primary text color selection
• Automatic contrast ratio calculation (WCAG AA/AAA compliance checking)
• Contrast warnings when text/background combination is inaccessible

State Colors:

• Hover Background: Color when cursor hovers over button
• Active Background: Color when button is pressed
• Focus Outline: Border/outline color for keyboard navigation
• Disabled State: Reduced opacity/desaturated colors for inactive buttons

Color Suggestions: Built-in palette of professional color combinations ensures accessible, aesthetically pleasing designs.

3. Border and Outline Styling

Complete control over button borders:

Border Width: 0px (borderless) to 5px (prominent borders)

Border Style: Solid, dashed, dotted, double

Border Color: Independent color picker with opacity control

Border Radius: Corner rounding from 0px (sharp) to full pill shape

• Individual corner control for asymmetric designs
• Quick presets: Sharp (0px), Subtle (4px), Rounded (8px), Pill (999px)

Outline (Focus State):

• Outline width, style, color
• Outline offset for spacing between button and focus indicator
• Default accessible focus ring following WCAG guidelines

Border controls allow everything from flat Material Design buttons to skeuomorphic button styles with pronounced borders.

4. Box Shadow and Elevation

Create depth and emphasis with shadow controls:

Shadow Presets:

• None: Flat design (0px shadow)
• Subtle: Minimal depth (0 2px 4px rgba)
• Medium: Standard elevation (0 4px 6px rgba)
• Large: Prominent elevation (0 10px 15px rgba)
• Extra Large: Hero button emphasis (0 20px 25px rgba)

Custom Shadow Builder:

• Horizontal offset (X axis)
• Vertical offset (Y axis)
• Blur radius (softness of shadow)
• Spread radius (size of shadow)
• Shadow color with opacity

Multiple Shadows: Layer multiple box-shadows for complex depth effects

Hover Shadow Changes: Configure different shadow depths for interactive feedback (e.g., button “lifts” on hover with increased shadow)

Shadows provide visual affordance—users instinctively understand that shadowed elements are clickable.

5. Typography and Text Styling

Comprehensive text appearance controls:

Font Family:

• Web-safe font stacks
• Google Fonts integration
• System font options (San Francisco, Segoe UI, Roboto)

Font Size: 12px to 24px with slider or manual input

Font Weight:

• Light (300)
• Regular (400)
• Medium (500)
• Semibold (600)
• Bold (700)

Text Transform:

• None (Mixed case)
• Uppercase
• Lowercase
• Capitalize

Letter Spacing: -0.05em to 0.2em for fine-tuned tracking

Line Height: Ensures vertical centering and adequate touch targets

Proper typography creates hierarchy and improves button legibility across devices and screen sizes.

6. Interactive State Editor

Design all button states in one interface:

State Tabs:

• Default: Initial appearance
• Hover: Cursor over button
• Focus: Keyboard selection
• Active: Button being pressed
• Disabled: Inactive/unavailable state

State-Specific Properties: Each state can have unique:

• Background color
• Text color
• Border color
• Box shadow
• Transform (scale, translate—integrates with CSS Transform Generator)

Transition Controls:

• Duration (100ms to 1000ms)
• Timing function (ease, ease-in, ease-out, ease-in-out, cubic-bezier)
• Delay (optional)

Interactive states provide crucial user feedback—hover states signal interactivity, active states confirm clicks, focus states enable keyboard navigation.

7. Code Output Panel

Generates production-ready CSS with multiple export options:

CSS Class Format:

.custom-button {
  /* Base styles */
  padding: 12px 24px;
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 6px;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 600;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.custom-button:hover {
  background-color: #5568d3;
  transform: translateY(-2px);
  box-shadow: 0 4px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
}

.custom-button:focus {
  outline: 2px solid #667eea;
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

.custom-button:active {
  transform: translateY(0);
  box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

.custom-button:disabled {
  background-color: #cccccc;
  cursor: not-allowed;
  opacity: 0.6;
}

Export Formats:

• Plain CSS
• Sass/SCSS variables
• CSS custom properties (CSS variables)
• Styled Components (React)
• Tailwind utility classes

HTML Snippet: Pre-formatted HTML with accessibility attributes

One-click copy functionality makes implementing your button styles effortless.

8. Preset Library

Access professionally designed button styles:

Primary Buttons: Bold, high-contrast CTAs Secondary Buttons: Outlined or ghost style Tertiary Buttons: Minimal text-only buttons Danger Buttons: Destructive actions (delete, remove) Success Buttons: Positive confirmations Icon Buttons: Square/circular buttons for icons Pill Buttons: Fully rounded edges Gradient Buttons: Modern gradient backgrounds Glassmorphic Buttons: Translucent, frosted glass effect

Each preset serves as a customizable starting point, accelerating design while maintaining best practices.

9. Accessibility Checker

Built-in accessibility validation:

Contrast Ratio Calculator:

• Real-time WCAG AA/AAA compliance checking
• Visual indicator (pass/fail) for normal text and large text
• Suggested color adjustments to meet standards

Touch Target Validation:

• Warns if button is smaller than 44×44px (WCAG minimum)
• Visual guide showing minimum touch area

Focus State Verification:

• Ensures visible focus indicator is present
• Checks focus outline contrast against background

Keyboard Navigation Support:

• Generates proper :focus styles
• Includes :focus-visible for modern focus management

Screen Reader Compatibility:

• Suggests ARIA labels when button contains only icons
• Reminds to include descriptive button text

Accessibility features ensure your buttons work for all users, including those with visual impairments or motor disabilities.

10. Responsive Preview Mode

Test button appearance across devices:

Viewport Presets:

• Mobile (375px)
• Tablet (768px)
• Desktop (1440px)
• Custom width

Responsive Considerations:

• Font size scaling recommendations
• Padding adjustments for touch targets
• Stacking behavior for button groups

Responsive preview prevents mobile usability issues before deployment.

Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Primary Call-to-Action Button

Create a prominent, conversion-focused button for a landing page.

Workflow:

1. Select Large size preset (16px × 32px padding)
2. Background color: #667eea (brand purple)
3. Text color: #ffffff (white)
4. Border radius: 8px (moderately rounded)
5. Box shadow: Large preset for emphasis
6. Hover state: Darken background to #5568d3, increase shadow
7. Generate and copy CSS

Implementation:

<button class="cta-primary">Get Started Free</button>

.cta-primary {
  padding: 16px 32px;
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: #ffffff;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 8px;
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 600;
  box-shadow: 0 10px 15px rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.3);
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.cta-primary:hover {
  background-color: #5568d3;
  box-shadow: 0 15px 20px rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.4);
  transform: translateY(-2px);
}

.cta-primary:focus {
  outline: 2px solid #667eea;
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

Scenario 2: Secondary Outlined Button

Design a subtle secondary action button.

Workflow:

1. Medium size preset
2. Background: transparent
3. Border: 2px solid #667eea
4. Text color: #667eea
5. Border radius: 6px
6. Hover: Fill background with #667eea, text to white

Implementation:

.btn-secondary {
  padding: 12px 24px;
  background-color: transparent;
  color: #667eea;
  border: 2px solid #667eea;
  border-radius: 6px;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 500;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.btn-secondary:hover {
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: #ffffff;
}

Scenario 3: Danger/Destructive Action Button

Create a button for destructive actions like “Delete” or “Remove”.

Workflow:

1. Medium size
2. Background: #dc3545 (red)
3. Text: white
4. Border radius: 6px
5. Hover: Darken to #c82333
6. Add confirmation pattern (shake animation on hover)

Implementation with Animation:

.btn-danger {
  padding: 12px 24px;
  background-color: #dc3545;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 6px;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 600;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
}

.btn-danger:hover {
  background-color: #c82333;
  animation: shake 0.5s;
}

@keyframes shake {
  0%, 100% { transform: translateX(0); }
  25% { transform: translateX(-5px); }
  75% { transform: translateX(5px); }
}

Scenario 4: Icon Button for Toolbar

Create compact icon-only buttons for toolbars or action menus.

Workflow:

1. Small size with equal padding (8px all sides)
2. Square shape (width = height)
3. Background: #f5f5f5
4. Border radius: 4px or 50% for circular
5. Hover: darken background
6. Include ARIA label for accessibility

Implementation:

<button class="btn-icon" aria-label="Edit item">
  <svg><!-- Edit icon --></svg>
</button>

.btn-icon {
  padding: 8px;
  background-color: #f5f5f5;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 4px;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
}

.btn-icon:hover {
  background-color: #e0e0e0;
}

.btn-icon:focus {
  outline: 2px solid #667eea;
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

Scenario 5: Gradient Button with Modern Aesthetic

Design a contemporary gradient button for a tech startup landing page.

Workflow:

1. Use Gradient Generator to create gradient: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%)
2. Large size
3. White text
4. Pill shape border-radius
5. Subtle shadow
6. Hover: slightly lighter gradient

Implementation:

.btn-gradient {
  padding: 16px 32px;
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 50px;
  font-size: 18px;
  font-weight: 600;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 15px rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.3);
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.btn-gradient:hover {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #7a8ef0 0%, #8b5db8 100%);
  box-shadow: 0 6px 20px rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.4);
  transform: translateY(-2px);
}

Code Examples

Example 1: Button Group with Consistent Styling

.btn-group {
  display: flex;
  gap: 12px;
}

.btn {
  padding: 12px 24px;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 6px;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 500;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.btn-primary {
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: white;
}

.btn-primary:hover {
  background-color: #5568d3;
}

.btn-secondary {
  background-color: #f5f5f5;
  color: #333;
}

.btn-secondary:hover {
  background-color: #e0e0e0;
}

Example 2: Loading State Button

.btn-loading {
  padding: 12px 24px;
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 6px;
  position: relative;
  cursor: not-allowed;
}

.btn-loading::after {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  width: 16px;
  height: 16px;
  top: 50%;
  left: 50%;
  margin-left: -8px;
  margin-top: -8px;
  border: 2px solid #ffffff;
  border-radius: 50%;
  border-top-color: transparent;
  animation: spin 0.6s linear infinite;
}

@keyframes spin {
  to { transform: rotate(360deg); }
}

Example 3: Split Button with Dropdown

.split-button {
  display: inline-flex;
  border-radius: 6px;
  overflow: hidden;
}

.split-button-main {
  padding: 12px 20px;
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-right: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2);
  cursor: pointer;
}

.split-button-toggle {
  padding: 12px;
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  cursor: pointer;
}

.split-button-main:hover,
.split-button-toggle:hover {
  background-color: #5568d3;
}

Example 4: Glassmorphic Button

.btn-glass {
  padding: 12px 24px;
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
  backdrop-filter: blur(10px);
  border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2);
  border-radius: 8px;
  color: white;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 500;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.btn-glass:hover {
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2);
  transform: translateY(-2px);
}

Example 5: Button with Icon

<button class="btn-with-icon">
  <svg class="btn-icon-left"><!-- Icon --></svg>
  Continue
</button>

.btn-with-icon {
  padding: 12px 24px;
  background-color: #667eea;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 6px;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 500;
  cursor: pointer;
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 8px;
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.btn-icon-left {
  width: 20px;
  height: 20px;
}

.btn-with-icon:hover {
  background-color: #5568d3;
}

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Button Text Not Vertically Centered

Symptoms: Text appears slightly off-center vertically.

Solutions:

• Set display: inline-flex; with align-items: center; justify-content: center;
• Adjust line-height to match button height
• Check font metrics—some fonts have uneven ascender/descender spaces
• Remove default browser button padding: padding: 0; then add custom padding

Fix:

.btn {
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  padding: 12px 24px;
  line-height: 1;
}

Issue 2: Button Width Inconsistent Across States

Symptoms: Button changes width when hovering or clicking.

Solutions:

• Set explicit min-width property
• Avoid changing font-weight on hover (can cause width changes)
• Use transform: scale() instead of padding changes for hover effects
• Set box-sizing: border-box; to include border/padding in width calculation

Fix:

.btn {
  min-width: 120px;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

Issue 3: Focus Outline Cut Off or Overlapping

Symptoms: Focus ring is clipped by parent container or overlaps nearby elements.

Solutions:

• Add outline-offset: 2px; to space outline from button
• Ensure parent has overflow: visible; (not hidden)
• Use box-shadow instead of outline for custom focus indicators
• Add margin around buttons to accommodate focus ring

Fix:

.btn:focus {
  outline: 2px solid #667eea;
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

/* Or use box-shadow */
.btn:focus {
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.3);
  outline: none;
}

Issue 4: Button Appears Blurry on Retina Displays

Symptoms: Button edges or text look fuzzy on high-DPI screens.

Solutions:

• Avoid fractional pixel values (use 12px, not 12.5px)
• Use even numbers for padding and dimensions
• Ensure transform values don’t introduce sub-pixels
• Check that box-shadows use whole pixel offsets

Fix: Always use whole pixel values throughout button styles.

Issue 5: Hover State Not Working on Touch Devices

Symptoms: Buttons “stick” in hover state after tap on mobile.

Solutions:

• Use :active instead of :hover for mobile-first designs
• Implement @media (hover: hover) to apply hover only on hover-capable devices
• Consider using :focus-visible for keyboard-only focus states

Fix:

/* Only apply hover on devices with hover capability */
@media (hover: hover) {
  .btn:hover {
    background-color: #5568d3;
  }
}

/* Active state works on all devices */
.btn:active {
  transform: scale(0.95);
}

Issue 6: Button Text Not Readable

Symptoms: Low contrast between text and background.

Solutions:

• Use the accessibility checker to verify WCAG compliance
• Aim for at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio (AA standard)
• Increase text color lightness or background darkness
• Test with color blindness simulators
• Add text shadow for borderline cases: text-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What’s the difference between padding and min-width for button sizing?

A: Padding creates internal spacing around the button text, expanding the clickable area and improving aesthetics. Min-width sets a minimum button width regardless of text length, ensuring consistency in button groups. Use both: padding for comfort, min-width for alignment.

Q2: Should buttons use or tags?

const Button = ({ variant = 'primary', children, ...props }) => {
  return (
    <button className={`btn btn-${variant}`} {...props}>
      {children}
    </button>
  );
};

.btn {
  appearance: none;
  -webkit-appearance: none;
  -moz-appearance: none;
  border: none;
  background: none;
  padding: 0;
  /* Then add your custom styles */
}

.btn {
  transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

Use the CSS Transition Generator to fine-tune timing.

Q6: What’s the minimum button size for mobile accessibility?

A: 44×44 pixels minimum touch target per WCAG 2.1 Level AAA (48×48px is recommended). Smaller buttons are difficult to tap accurately, especially for users with motor impairments.

Q7: Can I animate button background gradients?

A: Not directly—CSS can’t transition gradients smoothly. Workarounds:

• Overlay two gradients and transition opacity
• Use background-position animation with larger background-size
• Transition to a solid color on hover instead

Q8: How do I handle loading states in buttons?

A: Add a loading class that:

• Changes cursor to not-allowed or wait
• Disables pointer events: pointer-events: none;
• Shows a spinner (CSS or SVG)
• Optionally reduces opacity: opacity: 0.6;

See Example 2 in Code Examples section.

References

Official Documentation

• MDN: Button Element - Complete reference for HTML button element
• MDN: CSS button Styling - Guide to styling form controls including buttons
• WCAG 2.1: Understanding Success Criterion 2.5.5 (Target Size) - Accessibility standards for touch targets
• Material Design: Buttons - Google’s button design principles
• Apple HIG: Buttons - iOS/macOS button guidelines

Related Gray-wolf Tools

• Gradient Generator - Create gradient backgrounds for buttons
• Border Radius Generator - Design custom corner radii for buttons
• CSS Transition Generator - Create smooth button hover transitions
• CSS Transform Generator - Add scale/translate effects to button interactions
• CSS Generator Suite - Complete CSS tool collection for comprehensive styling

Design Resources

• Buttony - Curated collection of button design inspiration
• Buttons.cool - Interactive button showcase

Accessibility Resources

• WebAIM: Contrast Checker - Verify text/background contrast ratios
• The A11Y Project: Button Guide - Accessibility best practices for buttons