SVG gradient using CSS - css

Question

I'm trying to get a gradient applied to an SVG rect element.
Currently, I'm using the fill attribute. In my CSS file:
rect {
cursor: pointer;
shape-rendering: crispEdges;
fill: #a71a2e;
}
And the rect element has the correct fill color when viewed in the browser.
However, I'd like to know if I can apply a linear gradient to this element?

Answer 1

Just use in the CSS whatever you would use in a fill attribute.
Of course, this requires that you have defined the linear gradient somewhere in your SVG.
Here is a complete example:
rect {
cursor: pointer;
shape-rendering: crispEdges;
fill: url(#MyGradient);
}
<svg width="100" height="50" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<style type="text/css">
rect{fill:url(#MyGradient)}
</style>
<defs>
<linearGradient id="MyGradient">
<stop offset="5%" stop-color="#F60" />
<stop offset="95%" stop-color="#FF6" />
</linearGradient>
</defs>
<rect width="100" height="50"/>
</svg>

Answer 2

2019 Answer
With brand new css properties you can have even more flexibility with variables aka custom properties
.shape {
width:500px;
height:200px;
}
.shape .gradient-bg {
fill: url(#header-shape-gradient) #fff;
}
#header-shape-gradient {
--color-stop: #f12c06;
--color-bot: #faed34;
}
<svg viewBox="0 0 100 100" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" preserveAspectRatio="none" class="shape">
<defs>
<linearGradient id="header-shape-gradient" x2="0.35" y2="1">
<stop offset="0%" stop-color="var(--color-stop)" />
<stop offset="30%" stop-color="var(--color-stop)" />
<stop offset="100%" stop-color="var(--color-bot)" />
</linearGradient>
</defs>
<g>
<polygon class="gradient-bg" points="0,0 100,0 0,66" />
</g>
</svg>
Just set a named variable for each stop in gradient and then customize as you like in css. You can even change their values dynamically with javascript, like:
document.querySelector('#header-shape-gradient').style.setProperty('--color-stop', "#f5f7f9");

Answer 3

Building on top of what Finesse wrote, here is a simpler way to target the svg and change it's gradient.
This is what you need to do:
Assign classes to each color stop defined in the gradient element.
Target the css and change the stop-color for each of those stops using plain classes.
Win!
Some benefits of using classes instead of :nth-child is that it'll not be affected if you reorder your stops. Also, it makes the intent of each class clear - you'll be left wondering whether you needed a blue color on the first child or the second one.
I've tested it on all Chrome, Firefox and IE11:
.main-stop {
stop-color: red;
}
.alt-stop {
stop-color: green;
}
<svg class="green" width="100" height="50" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<linearGradient id="gradient">
<stop class="main-stop" offset="0%" />
<stop class="alt-stop" offset="100%" />
</linearGradient>
<rect width="100" height="50" fill="url(#gradient)" />
</svg>
See an editable example here:
https://jsbin.com/gabuvisuhe/edit?html,css,output

Answer 4

Here is a solution where you can add a gradient and change its colours using only CSS:
// JS is not required for the solution. It's used only for the interactive demo.
const svg = document.querySelector('svg');
document.querySelector('#greenButton').addEventListener('click', () => svg.setAttribute('class', 'green'));
document.querySelector('#redButton').addEventListener('click', () => svg.setAttribute('class', 'red'));
svg.green stop:nth-child(1) {
stop-color: #60c50b;
}
svg.green stop:nth-child(2) {
stop-color: #139a26;
}
svg.red stop:nth-child(1) {
stop-color: #c84f31;
}
svg.red stop:nth-child(2) {
stop-color: #dA3448;
}
<svg class="green" width="100" height="50" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<linearGradient id="gradient">
<stop offset="0%" />
<stop offset="100%" />
</linearGradient>
<rect width="100" height="50" fill="url(#gradient)" />
</svg>
<br/>
<button id="greenButton">Green</button>
<button id="redButton">Red</button>

Answer 5

Thank you everyone,
for all your precise replys.
Using the svg in a shadow dom, I add the 3 linear gradients I need within the svg, inside a .
I place the css fill rule on the web component and the inheritance od fill does the job.
<svg viewbox="0 0 512 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<path
d="m258 0c-45 0-83 38-83 83 0 45 37 83 83 83 45 0 83-39 83-84 0-45-38-82-83-82zm-85 204c-13 0-24 10-24 23v48c0 13 11 23 24 23h23v119h-23c-13 0-24 11-24 24l-0 47c0 13 11 24 24 24h168c13 0 24-11 24-24l0-47c0-13-11-24-24-24h-21v-190c0-13-11-23-24-23h-123z"></path>
</svg>
<svg height="0" width="0">
<defs>
<linearGradient id="lgrad-p" gradientTransform="rotate(75)"><stop offset="45%" stop-color="#4169e1"></stop><stop offset="99%" stop-color="#c44764"></stop></linearGradient>
<linearGradient id="lgrad-s" gradientTransform="rotate(75)"><stop offset="45%" stop-color="#ef3c3a"></stop><stop offset="99%" stop-color="#6d5eb7"></stop></linearGradient>
<linearGradient id="lgrad-g" gradientTransform="rotate(75)"><stop offset="45%" stop-color="#585f74"></stop><stop offset="99%" stop-color="#b6bbc8"></stop></linearGradient>
</defs>
</svg>
<div></div>
<style>
:first-child {
height:150px;
width:150px;
fill:url(#lgrad-p) blue;
}
div{
position:relative;
width:150px;
height:150px;
fill:url(#lgrad-s) red;
}
</style>
<script>
const shadow = document.querySelector('div').attachShadow({mode: 'open'});
shadow.innerHTML="<svg viewbox=\"0 0 512 512\">\
<path d=\"m258 0c-45 0-83 38-83 83 0 45 37 83 83 83 45 0 83-39 83-84 0-45-38-82-83-82zm-85 204c-13 0-24 10-24 23v48c0 13 11 23 24 23h23v119h-23c-13 0-24 11-24 24l-0 47c0 13 11 24 24 24h168c13 0 24-11 24-24l0-47c0-13-11-24-24-24h-21v-190c0-13-11-23-24-23h-123z\"></path>\
</svg>\
<svg height=\"0\">\
<defs>\
<linearGradient id=\"lgrad-s\" gradientTransform=\"rotate(75)\"><stop offset=\"45%\" stop-color=\"#ef3c3a\"></stop><stop offset=\"99%\" stop-color=\"#6d5eb7\"></stop></linearGradient>\
<linearGradient id=\"lgrad-g\" gradientTransform=\"rotate(75)\"><stop offset=\"45%\" stop-color=\"#585f74\"></stop><stop offset=\"99%\" stop-color=\"#b6bbc8\"></stop></linearGradient>\
</defs>\
</svg>\
";
</script>
The first one is normal SVG,
the second one is inside a shadow dom.

Answer 6

Here is how to set a linearGradient on a target element:
<style type="text/css">
path{fill:url('#MyGradient')}
</style>
<defs>
<linearGradient id="MyGradient">
<stop offset="0%" stop-color="#e4e4e3" ></stop>
<stop offset="80%" stop-color="#fff" ></stop>
</linearGradient>
</defs>