color

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

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

Browser compatibility

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, and color-adjust
• Applying color to HTML elements using CSS