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HTML Colors


Color on the web is usually controlled with CSS, but HTML lessons introduce names and hex values so you understand what CSS later manipulates.


Why this matters on Global Tuts

Color choices affect readability, brand identity and accessibility — contrast matters for every learner and every device.

Common beginner mistakes

  • Low contrast text on colored backgrounds
  • Using only color to convey meaning
  • Hard-coding random hex values without a palette

Written by Mohammad Ashraf for Global Tuts learners.

Color Names

In HTML, a color can be specified by using a color name:

Tomato
Orange
DodgerBlue
MediumSeaGreen
Gray
SlateBlue
Violet
LightGray

Try it Yourself »

HTML supports 140 standard color names.


Background Color

You can set the background color for HTML elements:

Hello World


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Example

<h1 style="background-color:DodgerBlue;">Hello World</h1>
<p style="background-color:Tomato;">Lorem ipsum...</p>
Try it Yourself »

Text Color

You can set the color of text:

Hello World

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.

Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Example

<h1 style="color:Tomato;">Hello World</h1>
<p style="color:DodgerBlue;">Lorem ipsum...</p>
<p style="color:MediumSeaGreen;">Ut wisi enim...</p>
Try it Yourself »


Border Color

You can set the color of borders:

Hello World

Hello World

Hello World

Example

<h1 style="border:2px solid Tomato;">Hello World</h1>
<h1 style="border:2px solid DodgerBlue;">Hello World</h1>
<h1 style="border:2px solid Violet;">Hello World</h1>
Try it Yourself »

Color Values

In HTML, colors can also be specified using RGB values, HEX values, HSL values, RGBA values, and HSLA values.

The following three <div> elements have their background color set with RGB, HEX, and HSL values:

rgb(255, 99, 71)
#ff6347
hsl(9, 100%, 64%)

The following two <div> elements have their background color set with RGBA and HSLA values, which adds an Alpha channel to the color (here we have 50% transparency):

rgba(255, 99, 71, 0.5)
hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 0.5)

Example

<h1 style="background-color:rgb(255, 99, 71);">...</h1>
<h1 style="background-color:#ff6347;">...</h1>
<h1 style="background-color:hsl(9, 100%, 64%);">...</h1>

<h1 style="background-color:rgba(255, 99, 71, 0.5);">...</h1>
<h1 style="background-color:hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 0.5);">...</h1>
Try it Yourself »

Learn more about Color Values

You will learn more about RGB, HEX and HSL in the next chapters.