How to Add Color to HTML Pages

When color is used properly on an HTML page, it can enhance the appearance and even the usability of that page.

Too much and clashing (unrelated) color detracts from its effectiveness as a tool.

Color can be applied to most page elements of HTML.

Paragraph and heading text, horizontal lines, shadow, borders and backgrounds in the body, divisions , tables and other box type elements can all use the color or background-color attribute.

If not specified the default color for text lines and borders is black.

The default background color is white.

There are also default colors for the different states of hyperlinks.

Methods

Color can be set using different methods.

It can be defined by color name or color code.

Set inline using:
<p style="color: red"></p>

Embedded or Linked style sheet:
p {
color : #ff0000
}

Color can be set using Hexidecimal or RGB code.
div { background: black }
p { color : #ff0000 }
p { color : #ff0 } and
p { color : rgb(255, 255, 0)}

Example:
<p STYLE="color : #ade;background-color :#000">Hello world</p>
produces:

Hello world

Note: Six digit hexidecimal or RGB code give you the most variation in color choices.

 

Color and Browsers

It should be noted that the final word on how color displays in a browser is determined by the user's browser and the type of hardware on the viewers PC.

At one time that there were 216 colors that would display the same from browser to browser.

With today's monitors using 24 to 32 bit displays, just about any color you choose is safe.

Check our hexidecimal color code chart for standard and non standard web palette colors.