How to use variables for shadows?

same here! following

We need this 🙂

It looks like it’s been added to Figma.

To test it, I made my variables and created two modes: dark-mode and light-mode.

I set my desired shadows for light and dark under the ‘drop-shadow-opacity’ variable. Because I can’t give the drop shadow effect a boolean variable, I gave the light-mode a 0% colour opacity.

Then, once you’ve added your drop shadow to the frame, open the details and click the colour box.

From there, you can select the colour variable from your library. You can see it applied in the photo. I’d upload more photos, but new users can only upload one image.

Hopefully, that works for all of your needs, it’s been working for me!

That is great Ryan! 🎉

For context, the existing method works if you don’t have a multi-layer token system. Such as one layer for your primary color Palette and one layer for your Semantic colors. When you use multiple layers, you never want to ‘hard code’ values like this on a semantic or theme token, but instead reference another more primitive token. Multi-layer systems are very popular, and (more or less) crucial if you have design systems with multiple themes, modes or brands.

But you are right that this ticket is pretty much done. What we are waiting for is variables with alpha included 🙂 Go and vote on it if you haven’t already:

Great point! Voted.

A year and a half later and we’re all still waiting for more functionality with variables like drop shadows and typography. But thank goodness we have Figma Slides (which no one asked for). Figma keeping Tokens Studio in business.