brightness() CSS function

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since September 2016.

The brightness() CSS <filter-function> applies a linear multiplier value on an element or an input image, making the image appear brighter or darker.

Try it

filter: brightness(1);

filter: brightness(1.75);

filter: brightness(50%);

filter: brightness(0);

<section id="default-example">
  <img
    class="transition-all"
    id="example-element"
    src="/shared-assets/images/examples/firefox-logo.svg"
    width="200" />
</section>

Brightness specified as a <number> or a <percentage>. A value less than 100% darkens the input image or element, while a value over 100% brightens it. A value of 0% creates a completely black image or element, while a value of 100% leaves the input unchanged. Other values between 0% to 100% have a linear multiplier effect. Values greater than 100% are allowed, providing brighter results. The initial value for interpolation is 1. Negative values are not allowed. The default value is 1.

The following are pairs of equivalent values:

css
brightness(0)   /* Brightness is reduced to zero, so input turns black */
brightness(0%)

brightness(0.4) /* Brightness of input is reduced to 40%, so input is 60% darker */
brightness(40%)

brightness()     /* Brightness of input is not changed */
brightness(1)
brightness(100%)

brightness(2)   /* Brightness of input is doubled */
brightness(200%)

Formal syntax

<brightness()> =
brightness( [ <number> | <percentage> ]? )
This syntax reflects the latest standard as per Filter Effects Module Level 1. Not all browsers may have implemented every part. See Browser compatibility for support information.

Examples

Applying brightness using the backdrop-filter property

This example shows how to apply the brightness() filter to a paragraph via the backdrop-filter CSS property.

CSS

css
.container {
  background: url("be_fierce.jpg") no-repeat right / contain #d4d5b2;
}
p {
  backdrop-filter: brightness(150%);
  text-shadow: 2px 2px white;
}

.container {
  padding: 5rem 3rem 1rem;
  width: 30rem;
}
p {
  padding: 0.5rem;
  color: black;
  font-size: 2rem;
  font-family: sans-serif;
}

<div class="container">
  <p>
    Text on images can be illegible and inaccessible even with a drop shadow.
  </p>
</div>

Result

In this example, the colors in the area behind the <p> element shift linearly. If the backdrop-filter property was set to brightness(0%), the <div> area with the <p> element would have been black and hidden the image behind. At brightness(100%), the <div> area color would be the same as the input #d4d5b2, and the image behind would be completely transparent. With the brightness set to 150% as in this example, the colors in the image behind are getting hidden by the brightness of the <div> element.

Applying brightness using the filter property

In this example, a brightness() filter is applied to the entire element, including content, border, and background image via the filter CSS property. The result shows three variations of different brightness values.

css
p:first-of-type {
  filter: brightness(50%);
}
p:last-of-type {
  filter: brightness(200%);
}

p {
  text-shadow: 2px 2px blue;
  background-color: magenta;
  color: palegoldenrod;
  border: 1em solid rebeccapurple;
  box-shadow:
    inset -5px -5px red,
    5px 5px yellow;
  padding: 0.25rem;
  font-size: 1.25rem;
  font-family: sans-serif;
  width: 85vw;
}

<p>This paragraph has reduced brightness.</p>
<p>This paragraph has normal brightness.</p>
<p>This paragraph has increased brightness.</p>

Applying brightness using the url() SVG brightness filter

The SVG <filter> element is used to define custom filter effects that can then be referenced by id. The <filter> element's <feComponentTransfer> primitive enables pixel-level color remapping.

In this example, to create a filter that darkens the content on which it is applied by 25% (i.e., 75% of the original brightness), the slope attribute is set to 0.75. We can then reference the filter by id.

Given the following:

html
<svg role="none">
  <filter id="darken25" color-interpolation-filters="sRGB">
    <feComponentTransfer>
      <feFuncR type="linear" slope="0.75" />
      <feFuncG type="linear" slope="0.75" />
      <feFuncB type="linear" slope="0.75" />
    </feComponentTransfer>
  </filter>
</svg>

The following declarations produce similar effects:

css
filter: brightness(75%);
filter: url("#darken25"); /* with embedded SVG */
filter: url("folder/fileName.svg#darken25"); /* external svg filter definition */

In the images below, the first one has a brightness() filter function applied, the second one has a similar SVG brightness function applied, and the third is the original image for comparison.

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Live example</th>
      <th>SVG Equivalent</th>
      <th>Original image</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <img
          class="css-filter"
          src="https://mdn.github.io/shared-assets/images/examples/progress-pride-flag.jpg"
          alt="darkened pride flag" />
      </td>
      <td>
        <img
          class="svg-filter"
          src="https://mdn.github.io/shared-assets/images/examples/progress-pride-flag.jpg"
          alt="darkened pride flag" />
      </td>
      <td>
        <img
          src="https://mdn.github.io/shared-assets/images/examples/progress-pride-flag.jpg"
          alt="Pride flag" />
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

.css-filter {
  filter: brightness(0.75);
}
.svg-filter {
  filter: url("#darken25");
}

th,
td {
  padding: 5px;
}
svg:not(:root) {
  display: none;
}