glass-dark-ui

name	glass-dark-ui
description	Build dark-mode glassmorphism interfaces with readable contrast, frosted surfaces, and gradient borders using a pseudo-element mask. Use when asked for glass cards, frosted dark hero sections, blur panels, or dark UI systems with gradient/glow borders.

Glass Dark UI Skill

Use When

• A dark interface needs frosted glass panels, blur shells, or gradient/glow borders.
• You need the implementation — tokens, backdrop-filter recipe, masked gradient border, contrast floors — for a dark glass surface.

Choosing between the dark skills: use this one for the concrete CSS of a glass surface. Use visual-style-presets (dark-glass-workspace preset) when you need the whole page direction — layout shell, structural motif, accent discipline. Use visual-style-presets (dark-technical-framed) instead when the identity should come from frames and rails rather than blur, and mesh-gradient-dark-blue-clean when the background itself is an animated mesh field.

Workflow

1. Confirm environment (HTML/CSS, Tailwind, or React) and target surface (hero, dashboard, modal, card).
2. Define dark UI tokens first (background, glass fill, border glow, primary text, muted text).
3. Build frosted panels with backdrop-filter, transparent dark fill, and subtle inner highlight.
4. Apply the masked gradient border (.border-gradient::before) to key surfaces.
5. Add restrained depth (shadow + glow) and clear hover/focus states.
6. Validate contrast and mobile behavior before finalizing.

Base Tokens

Use these as defaults and tune per brand.

:root {
  --bg-0: #020617;
  --bg-1: #0b1220;
  --glass-fill: rgba(15, 23, 42, 0.45);
  --glass-fill-strong: rgba(15, 23, 42, 0.62);
  --text-main: #e2e8f0;
  --text-muted: #94a3b8;
  --accent: #60a5fa;
}

Glass Panel Pattern

.glass-panel {
  background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02));
  background-color: var(--glass-fill);
  border-radius: 24px;
  box-shadow: 0 20px 48px rgba(2, 6, 23, 0.45), inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
  backdrop-filter: blur(18px) saturate(140%);
  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(18px) saturate(140%);
}

Border Gradient Pattern

.border-gradient {
  position: relative;
}

.border-gradient::before {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  border-radius: inherit;
  padding: 1px;
  -webkit-mask: linear-gradient(#fff 0 0) content-box, linear-gradient(#fff 0 0);
  -webkit-mask-composite: xor;
  mask-composite: exclude;
  background: linear-gradient(
    145deg,
    rgba(148, 163, 184, 0.28) 0%,
    rgba(96, 165, 250, 0.36) 45%,
    rgba(168, 85, 247, 0.3) 70%,
    rgba(148, 163, 184, 0.18) 100%
  );
  pointer-events: none;
}

Tailwind Usage Pattern

<section class="relative rounded-3xl border-gradient bg-slate-950/45 backdrop-blur-xl p-8 shadow-[0_20px_48px_rgba(2,6,23,0.45),inset_0_1px_0_rgba(255,255,255,0.12)]">
  <h2 class="text-slate-100 text-2xl font-semibold">Frosted Panel</h2>
  <p class="text-slate-400 mt-2">Dark glass card with masked gradient border.</p>
</section>

Dark Mode Checklist

• Keep body text at least #cbd5e1 on dark glass surfaces.
• Avoid pure black overlays over blur; use deep navy/charcoal alpha instead.
• Limit glow radius/intensity to preserve readability.
• Ensure focus rings are visible (outline or bright border state).
• Add fallback for non-blur environments: stronger solid background (--glass-fill-strong).

Common Requests This Skill Should Handle

• "Create a dark glass hero section with glowing border cards."
• "Convert this bright UI to dark glassmorphism without losing contrast."
• "Add border gradient glow to a frosted navbar/card/modal."
• "Make my dark dashboard feel premium with glass panels and subtle depth."