Free CSS Clip-Path Polygon Maker – Shape Builder Online

How to Generate Custom Clip-Paths

The web is inherently built on rectangles. Every `div`, `img`, and `section` is a box. The `clip-path` property allows you to mask these boxes into custom shapes. Here is how to use our visual maker to design your own:

1. Start with a Preset: Use the Quick Presets menu on the left to select a starting shape (like a Hexagon or Chevron). This instantly generates the base coordinates.
2. Drag the Nodes: In the preview canvas, click and drag the circular white handles. Notice how the blue gradient shape morphs in real-time to follow your cursor.
3. Add or Remove Complexity: If you need a more complex geometric shape, click “+ Add Node” to inject a new point into the polygon sequence. Click “- Remove Node” to simplify it.
4. Copy the Code: Once your shape is perfect, click “Copy CSS”. Paste this directly onto your target element in your stylesheet.

Technical Deep Dive: The Coordinate System

To master the `clip-path: polygon()` function, you must understand how the browser plots the X and Y coordinates of your shape.

Mapping the X and Y Axes

Unlike standard mathematical graphs where the origin (0,0) is in the bottom-left or center, web browser rendering engines place the origin at the Top-Left Corner.

• 0% 0% = Top Left corner of the element.
• 100% 0% = Top Right corner.
• 100% 100% = Bottom Right corner.
• 0% 100% = Bottom Left corner.
• 50% 50% = The exact absolute center of the element.

The Polygon Data Structure

The polygon() function accepts a comma-separated list of these X/Y coordinate pairs. The browser begins at the first point, draws a straight line to the second, continues to the final point, and then automatically closes the shape by drawing a line back to the first point.

Anything inside this boundary remains visible. Anything outside the boundary is visually “clipped” away, completely hiding the background, text, or image that overflowed the shape.

Developer Use Cases for Clip-Paths

Masking elements provides a massive visual upgrade to standard grid-based layouts, instantly making a website feel bespoke and modern.

1. Angled Hero Sections

Instead of a harsh horizontal line separating your website’s hero image from the content below it, applying a clip-path can create a dynamic, angled diagonal cut. For example: clip-path: polygon(0 0, 100% 0, 100% 85%, 0 100%); creates a subtle upward slant that guides the user’s eye down the page.

2. Custom Image Framing

Rather than relying on Photoshop or external graphic design tools to crop an author’s headshot into a hexagon or a star, you can upload a standard square JPEG and apply a clip-path. This preserves the original image data and allows you to dynamically change the frame shape across different devices using media queries.

3. Complex Hover Animations

Clip-paths are fully animatable. By defining a shape in a standard state, and defining a new set of coordinates in a :hover state, you can create stunning reveal animations (like a “wipe” effect or a shape expanding to fill the screen).

Crucial Rule for Animating Clip-Paths

If you intend to use the CSS transition property to smoothly animate between two different polygon shapes, you must obey the golden rule of CSS path animation:

If you attempt to transition a Triangle (3 points) into a Square (4 points), the browser’s math engine will crash, and the shape will simply “snap” instantly without animating.

The Workaround: To animate a triangle into a square, your triangle actually needs to be built with 4 points, where two of the points share the exact same coordinate to visually form a point. When the hover triggers, those two merged points split apart to form the square.

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Frequently Asked Questions