Question 1

Interpolation

Accepted Answer

is the mathematical process of calculating unknown intermediate values between known data points. In the context of gradients, if you have a color stop at 0% and a color stop at 100%, interpolation is the algorithm that determines the exact color at 50%. Easing refers to the rate of change during this interpolation. A linear easing means the color changes at a constant speed. Non-linear easing (such as a sine wave or cubic-bezier curve) means the color might change slowly at first, accelerate through the middle, and slow down at the end, creating a softer, more natural visual transition.

Question 2

What is the "gray dead zone" in color gradients?

Accepted Answer

The gray dead zone occurs when a browser interpolates between two highly saturated, opposing colors (like red and cyan) using the default sRGB color space. Because sRGB mathematically averages the red, green, and blue values linearly, the midpoint of the transition falls into the desaturated center of the color space, resulting in a muddy, brownish-gray stripe in the middle of the gradient.

Question 3

Why should I use Oklch instead of Hex or RGB for my gradients?

Accepted Answer

Oklch is a perceptually uniform color space, meaning its mathematical values align perfectly with human vision. When you generate gradient stops in Oklch, you can lock the Chroma (saturation) and Lightness, and simply rotate the Hue. This guarantees that every intermediate color stop remains exceptionally vibrant and visually consistent, which is mathematically impossible to guarantee using legacy Hex or standard RGB interpolation.

Question 4

How many color stops should I generate for a smooth gradient?

Accepted Answer

For most web elements, generating between 7 and 15 color stops is the optimal balance between visual smoothness and code performance. Fewer than 7 stops might still reveal the browser's flawed sRGB interpolation between the points, while more than 15 stops adds unnecessary byte weight to your CSS file without providing any discernible visual improvement to the human eye.

Question 5

How do I calculate the exact distance of a radial gradient to the farthest corner?

Accepted Answer

The browser calculates the farthest-corner extent using the Pythagorean theorem ($a^2 + b^2 = c^2$). If you have an 800x600 pixel box and the radial gradient is centered at coordinates X:200, Y:200, the farthest corner is at X:800, Y:600. The distance is $\sqrt{(800-200)^2 + (600-200)^2}$, which equals $\sqrt{360000 + 160000}$, resulting in a precise radius of approximately 721.11 pixels.

Question 6

Can I animate a gradient that has 10 generated stops?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but historically it was very difficult. Native CSS transitions cannot smoothly animate a background-image property containing multiple stops. The modern, expert solution is to use the CSS @property rule to define custom CSS variables as <color> types. You assign these variables to your generated stops, and then you animate the variables themselves using standard CSS keyframes, which the browser can interpolate smoothly.

Question 7

What is the difference between linear easing and perceptual easing in gradients?

Accepted Answer

Linear easing places color stops at mathematically equal distances (e.g., 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). Perceptual easing (or non-linear easing) uses curves like cubic-bezier or sine waves to calculate the stop percentages. This clusters the stops closer together at the beginning and end of the transition, resulting in a softer, more photographic fade that mimics how light naturally dissipates in the real world.

Question 8

Why do my transparent gradients look dark or smoky in the middle?

Accepted Answer

This happens when you fade a color to the CSS transparent keyword. In CSS, transparent is an alias for rgba(0,0,0,0)—which is transparent black. As your color fades to zero opacity, it is also interpolating toward black, creating a smoky halo. To fix this, generate stops that fade the alpha channel of your specific color (e.g., fading rgba(255,0,0,1) to rgba(255,0,0,0)), ensuring the hue remains pure as it disappears.

Question 9

Does generating dozens of color stops slow down website performance?

Accepted Answer

Generating the stops in CSS does not significantly impact rendering performance, as modern browser engines and GPUs are highly optimized for painting linear and radial gradients. The only performance impact is the slight increase in the CSS file size (a few hundred bytes). However, using heavily stopped conic gradients on very large DOM elements can occasionally cause minor paint latency on low-end mobile devices.

Color Gradient Stops Generator

Command Palette