Create new UIImage by adding shadow to existing UIImage

I needed a bigger shadow for my UIImages. Here is my variant of the answer that allows for a customized shadow size with no offset.

- (UIImage*)imageWithShadow:(UIImage*)originalImage BlurSize:(float)blurSize {     
    CGColorSpaceRef colourSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
    CGContextRef shadowContext = CGBitmapContextCreate(NULL, originalImage.size.width + (blurSize*2), originalImage.size.height + (blurSize*2), CGImageGetBitsPerComponent(originalImage.CGImage), 0, colourSpace, kCGImageAlphaPremultipliedLast);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colourSpace);
    
    CGContextSetShadowWithColor(shadowContext, CGSizeMake(0, 0), blurSize, [UIColor blackColor].CGColor);
    CGContextDrawImage(shadowContext, CGRectMake(blurSize, blurSize, originalImage.size.width, originalImage.size.height), originalImage.CGImage);
    
    CGImageRef shadowedCGImage = CGBitmapContextCreateImage(shadowContext);
    CGContextRelease(shadowContext);
    
    UIImage * shadowedImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:shadowedCGImage];
    CGImageRelease(shadowedCGImage);
    
    return shadowedImage;
}

Use it like:

UIImage *shadowedImage = [self imageWithShadow:myImage BlurSize:30.0f];

Swift extension to UIImage:

extension UIImage {
    
    func addShadow(blurSize: CGFloat = 6.0) -> UIImage {
                    
        let shadowColor = UIColor(white:0.0, alpha:0.8).cgColor
        
        let context = CGContext(data: nil,
                                width: Int(self.size.width + blurSize),
                                height: Int(self.size.height + blurSize),
                                bitsPerComponent: self.cgImage!.bitsPerComponent,
                                bytesPerRow: 0,
                                space: CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB(),
                                bitmapInfo: CGImageAlphaInfo.premultipliedLast.rawValue)!
        
        context.setShadow(offset: CGSize(width: blurSize/2,height: -blurSize/2),
                          blur: blurSize,
                          color: shadowColor)
        context.draw(self.cgImage!,
                     in: CGRect(x: 0, y: blurSize, width: self.size.width, height: self.size.height),
                     byTiling:false)
        
        return UIImage(cgImage: context.makeImage()!)
    }
}

(converted from Laurent Etiemble's & capikaw answers)

Usage:

let sourceImage: UIImage(named: "some image")
let shadowImage = sourceImage.addShadow()

I needed a method that would accept an UIImage as a parameter and return a slightly larger UIImage with shadows. The posts here have been very helpful to me so here's my method.

The returned image has a centered 5px shadow on each side.

+ (UIImage*)imageWithShadowForImage:(UIImage *)initialImage {

    CGColorSpaceRef colourSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
    CGContextRef shadowContext = CGBitmapContextCreate(NULL, initialImage.size.width + 10, initialImage.size.height + 10, CGImageGetBitsPerComponent(initialImage.CGImage), 0, colourSpace, kCGImageAlphaPremultipliedLast);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colourSpace);
    
    CGContextSetShadowWithColor(shadowContext, CGSizeMake(0,0), 5, [UIColor blackColor].CGColor);
    CGContextDrawImage(shadowContext, CGRectMake(5, 5, initialImage.size.width, initialImage.size.height), initialImage.CGImage);
    
    CGImageRef shadowedCGImage = CGBitmapContextCreateImage(shadowContext);
    CGContextRelease(shadowContext);
    
    UIImage * shadowedImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:shadowedCGImage];
    CGImageRelease(shadowedCGImage);
    
    return shadowedImage;
}

There are several problems with your code:

• The target image is too small. Be sure there enough place to draw the shadow.
• Consider using CGContextSetShadowWithColor to define both the shadow and its color.
• Don't forget that coordinate system is flipped, so the origin is bottom-left, not top-left.

By fixing these issues, the shadow should be drawn.

- (UIImage*)imageWithShadow {
    CGColorSpaceRef colourSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
    CGContextRef shadowContext = CGBitmapContextCreate(NULL, self.size.width + 10, self.size.height + 10, CGImageGetBitsPerComponent(self.CGImage), 0, 
                                             colourSpace, kCGImageAlphaPremultipliedLast);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colourSpace);

    CGContextSetShadowWithColor(shadowContext, CGSizeMake(5, -5), 5, [UIColor blackColor].CGColor);
    CGContextDrawImage(shadowContext, CGRectMake(0, 10, self.size.width, self.size.height), self.CGImage);

    CGImageRef shadowedCGImage = CGBitmapContextCreateImage(shadowContext);
    CGContextRelease(shadowContext);

    UIImage * shadowedImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:shadowedCGImage];
    CGImageRelease(shadowedCGImage);

    return shadowedImage;
}