How to Add Gradient Strokes to SVG Paths

Adding gradient colors to an SVG line enhances its visual appeal and creates engaging, dynamic graphics. This tutorial will guide you through using SVG's defs tag and the linearGradient element to achieve gradient stroke effects.

We'll also explore how to use RGBA for fade-out effects, bringing a modern, polished look to your SVGs.

Basic SVG with a Single Path

Here’s a minimal SVG where we define a path with TailwindCSS classes.

<svg class="" viewBox="0 0 1087 408">
    <path
        class="fill-none stroke-gray-500 stroke-[5px]"
        pathLength="1"
        d="M0.5 139C90 68.5 287 -52.7 359 26.5C449 125.5 297.5 268.5 461.5 251.5C625.5 234.5 555 102 766.5 120.5C935.7 135.3 837 318 766.5 407.5L1086.5 97"
    />
</svg>

Here, the path is gray, has no fill, and has a stroke width of 5 pixels.

Introducing Gradient Colors with <defs>

To add a gradient stroke, we need to use the <defs> tag. The <defs> tag defines reusable graphical elements like gradients, patterns, and filters.

Here's how we define a linear gradient

<svg class="" viewBox="0 0 1087 408">
    <defs>
        <linearGradient id="col">
            <stop offset="0%" stop-color="#f542e3" />
            <stop offset="25%" stop-color="#4e42f5" />
            <stop offset="75%" stop-color="#bd7919" />
            <stop offset="90%" stop-color="#0e3bcc" />
        </linearGradient>
    </defs>
    <path
        class="fill-none stroke-gray-500 stroke-[5px]"
        pathLength="1"
        d="M0.5 139C90 68.5 287 -52.7 359 26.5C449 125.5 297.5 268.5 461.5 251.5C625.5 234.5 555 102 766.5 120.5C935.7 135.3 837 318 766.5 407.5L1086.5 97"
    />
</svg>

However, this code won’t apply the gradient yet. To use the gradient, we must reference the gradient’s id in the path’s stroke attribute.

Applying the Gradient Stroke

Replace the stroke-gray-500 class with stroke-[url(#col)], which references the gradient defined in <defs>:

<svg class="" viewBox="0 0 1087 408">
    <defs>
        <linearGradient id="col">
            <stop offset="0%" stop-color="#f542e3" />
            <stop offset="25%" stop-color="#4e42f5" />
            <stop offset="75%" stop-color="#bd7919" />
            <stop offset="90%" stop-color="#0e3bcc" />
        </linearGradient>
    </defs>
    <path
        class="fill-none stroke-[url(#col)] stroke-[5px]"
        pathLength="1"
        d="M0.5 139C90 68.5 287 -52.7 359 26.5C449 125.5 297.5 268.5 461.5 251.5C625.5 234.5 555 102 766.5 120.5C935.7 135.3 837 318 766.5 407.5L1086.5 97"
    />
</svg>

Now, the path will render with a stunning gradient stroke.

Creating a Fade-Out Effect Using RGBA

To achieve a fade-out effect, use RGBA values in your gradient:

<svg class="" viewBox="0 0 1087 408">
    <defs>
        <linearGradient id="col">
            <stop offset="0%" stop-color="rgba(245, 66, 227, 1)" />
            <stop offset="25%" stop-color="rgba(78, 66, 245, 1)" />
            <stop offset="75%" stop-color="rgba(189, 121, 25, 1)" />
            <stop offset="90%" stop-color="rgba(14, 59, 204, 0)" />
        </linearGradient>
    </defs>
    <path
        class="fill-none stroke-[url(#col)] stroke-[5px]"
        pathLength="1"
        d="M0.5 139C90 68.5 287 -52.7 359 26.5C449 125.5 297.5 268.5 461.5 251.5C625.5 234.5 555 102 766.5 120.5C935.7 135.3 837 318 766.5 407.5L1086.5 97"
    />
</svg>

This will add a gradual fade-out effect to the stroke, perfect for creating sophisticated visuals.

Key Takeaways

1. Use <defs> to define reusable elements like gradients.
2. Reference gradients in stroke or fill attributes with url(#id).
3. Use RGBA values in gradients to create fade-out effects.