The color
CSS property sets the foreground color value of an element's text and text decorations, and sets the currentcolor
value. currentcolor
may be used as an indirect value on other properties and is the default for other color properties, such as border-color
.
For an overview of using color in HTML, see Applying color to HTML elements using CSS.
Syntax
/* Keyword values */ color: currentcolor; /* <named-color> values */ color: red; color: orange; color: tan; color: rebeccapurple; /* <hex-color> values */ color: #090; color: #009900; color: #090a; color: #009900aa; /* <rgb()> values */ color: rgb(34, 12, 64, 0.6); color: rgba(34, 12, 64, 0.6); color: rgb(34 12 64 / 0.6); color: rgba(34 12 64 / 0.3); color: rgb(34.0 12 64 / 60%); color: rgba(34.6 12 64 / 30%); /* <hsl()> values */ color: hsl(30, 100%, 50%, 0.6); color: hsla(30, 100%, 50%, 0.6); color: hsl(30 100% 50% / 0.6); color: hsla(30 100% 50% / 0.6); color: hsl(30.0 100% 50% / 60%); color: hsla(30.2 100% 50% / 60%); /* Global values */ color: inherit; color: initial; color: unset;
The color
property is specified as a single <color>
value.
Note that the value must be a uniform color
. It can't be a <gradient>
, which is actually a type of <image>
.
Values
<color>
- Sets the color of the textual and decorative parts of the element.
Accessibility concerns
It is important to ensure that the contrast ratio between the color of the text and the background the text is placed over is high enough that people experiencing low vision conditions will be able to read the content of the page.
Color contrast ratio is determined by comparing the luminosity of the text and background color values. In order to meet current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a ratio of 4.5:1 is required for text content and 3:1 for larger text such as headings. Large text is defined as 18.66px and bold or larger, or 24px or larger.
- WebAIM: Color Contrast Checker
- MDN Understanding WCAG, Guideline 1.4 explanations
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3 | W3C Understanding WCAG 2.0
Formal definition
Initial value | Varies from one browser to another |
---|---|
Applies to | all elements. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line . |
Inherited | yes |
Computed value | If the value is translucent, the computed value will be the rgba() corresponding one. If it isn't, it will be the rgb() corresponding one. The transparent keyword maps to rgba(0,0,0,0) . |
Animation type | a color |
Formal syntax
<color>where
<color> = <rgb()> | <rgba()> | <hsl()> | <hsla()> | <hex-color> | <named-color> | currentcolor | <deprecated-system-color>
where
<rgb()> = rgb( <percentage>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgb( <number>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgb( <percentage>#{3} , <alpha-value>? ) | rgb( <number>#{3} , <alpha-value>? )
<rgba()> = rgba( <percentage>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgba( <number>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgba( <percentage>#{3} , <alpha-value>? ) | rgba( <number>#{3} , <alpha-value>? )
<hsl()> = hsl( <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | hsl( <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? )
<hsla()> = hsla( <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | hsla( <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? )where
<alpha-value> = <number> | <percentage>
<hue> = <number> | <angle>
Examples
Making text red
The following are all ways to make a paragraph's text red:
p { color: red; } p { color: #f00; } p { color: #ff0000; } p { color: rgb(255,0,0); } p { color: rgb(100%, 0%, 0%); } p { color: hsl(0, 100%, 50%); } /* 50% translucent */ p { color: #ff000080; } p { color: rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5); } p { color: hsla(0, 100%, 50%, 0.5); }
Specifications
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
CSS Color Module Level 4 The definition of 'color' in that specification. |
Working Draft | Adds commaless syntaxes for the rgb() , rgba() , hsl() , and hsla() functions. Allows alpha values in rgb() and hsl() , turning rgba() and hsla() into (deprecated) aliases for them.Adds color keyword rebeccapurple .Adds 4- and 8-digit hex color values, where the last digit(s) represents the alpha value. Adds hwb() , device-cmyk() , and color() functions. |
CSS Color Module Level 3 The definition of 'color' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Deprecates system-colors. Adds SVG colors. Adds the rgba() , hsl() , and hsla() functions. |
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of 'color' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Adds the orange color and the system colors. |
CSS Level 1 The definition of 'color' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Initial definition. |
Browser compatibility
Desktop | Mobile | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
color | Chrome Full support 1 | Edge Full support 12 | Firefox Full support 1 | IE Full support 3 | Opera Full support 3.5 | Safari Full support 1 | WebView Android Full support 1 | Chrome Android Full support 18 | Firefox Android Full support 4 | Opera Android Full support 10.1 | Safari iOS Full support 1 | Samsung Internet Android Full support 1.0 |
Legend
- Full support
- Full support
See also
- The
<color>
data type - Other color-related properties:
background-color
,border-color
,outline-color
,text-decoration-color
,text-emphasis-color
,text-shadow
,caret-color
,column-rule-color
, andcolor-adjust
- Applying color to HTML elements using CSS