CSS Masonry UI not working properly using `column-count` and `box-shadow`

Question

The Below is my code of a Masonry UI, I am using with pure CSS

This works well if there are more than 4 cards but if I use it with below 4 cards the column-count: 3; does not work well.

body{
  height:1000px;
}

ul {
    list-style: none;
    -moz-column-count: 3;
    -webkit-column-count: 3;
    column-count: 3;
    -moz-column-gap: 1em;
    -webkit-column-gap: 1em;
    column-gap: 1em;
    padding: 0px 4px 4px 4px;
    margin-top: -10px;
    display: inline-block;
    width: 100%;
    margin: 0px;
    
}

li {
    width: 100%;
    display: inline-block;
    box-shadow: none;
    background: transparent;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    margin: 2%;
}

li div {
    border-radius: 3px;
    background-color: #f4faff;
    box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84);
    margin-top: 1em;
    cursor: pointer;
}

li div img{
    height: auto;
    width: 100%;
    vertical-align: middle;
    border: 0;
}

<ul>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
</ul>
<br><br><br>
BUT THIS WORKS IF THERE IS MORE THAN 4 IMAGES

<ul>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
</ul>

Tried Soluition:

body{
  height:500px;
}

ul {
    list-style: none;
    -moz-column-count: 3;
    -webkit-column-count: 3;
    column-count: 3;
    -moz-column-gap: 1em;
    -webkit-column-gap: 1em;
    column-gap: 1em;
    padding: 0px 4px 4px 4px;
    margin-top: -10px;
    display: inline-block;
    width: 100%;
    overflow:visible;
    
}

li {
    width: 100%;
    display: inline-block;
    float:left;
    background: transparent;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    margin: 2%;
}

li div {
    border-radius: 3px;
    background-color: #f4faff;
    box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84);
    margin-top: 1em;
    cursor: pointer;
}

li div img{
    height: auto;
    width: 100%;
    vertical-align: middle;
    border: 0;
}

<ul>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
    <li><div><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt=""></div></li>
</ul>

I have used float: left; to the above solutions <li> and it works in this case but in my real view it crops down the last img's box-shadow check the below screenshot.

Any solutions will be highly helpfull.

Answer 1

The root cause here seems to be the display: inline-block on the li elements. Changing this to block should wrap them into columns.

li {
    width: 25%;
    display: block;
    box-shadow: none;
    background: transparent;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    margin: 2%;
}

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

I hope something like this could be helpful.

.dw {
	box-sizing: border-box;
	-webkit-column-gap: 0;
	column-gap: 0;
	position: relative;
}
.dw * {
	box-sizing: border-box;
}


@media (min-width: 768px) {
.dw {
	-webkit-column-count: 2;
	column-count: 2;
}
}

@media (min-width: 992px) {
.dw {
	-webkit-column-count: 3;
	column-count: 3;
}
}

@media (min-width: 1500px) {
.dw {
	-webkit-column-count: 4;
	column-count: 3;
}
}
.dw-pnl {
	margin: 0;
	padding: 5px;
}
.dw-pnl__cntnt {
	border-radius: 3px;
	overflow: hidden;
	padding: 20px;
	width: 100%;
}

@media (min-width: 768px) {
.dw-pnl {
	-webkit-column-break-inside: avoid;
	break-inside: avoid;
}
}
img {
	box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84);
}
img.dw-pnl__cntnt {
	padding: 0;
}

<body>
<div class="dw">
  <div class="dw-pnl "> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt="img1" class="dw-pnl__cntnt"/> </div>
  <div class="dw-pnl "> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt="img2" class="dw-pnl__cntnt"/> </div>
  <div class="dw-pnl "> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt="img3" class="dw-pnl__cntnt"/> </div>
  <div class="dw-pnl "> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt="img3" class="dw-pnl__cntnt"/> </div>
  <div class="dw-pnl "> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt="img3" class="dw-pnl__cntnt"/> </div>
  <div class="dw-pnl "> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQs7OT7p9xBXn090AjKYgX4eV6vr-kHsmbIfcSFh__PoXgdNtb5gg" alt="img3" class="dw-pnl__cntnt"/> </div>
 
</div>
</body>